Rise of the Slayer
by Thine Dreamer Doth Take Flight
Summary: Takes place after Buffy dies during Glory days. For some reason, the Hellmouth's moved with the rising of the new Slayer. Giles and the gang follow it to find the new Slayer and help train her. Things spiral out of control for many reasons.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: This is my first crossover story, and my first attempt at making a story with __**Buffy**__. Try to stay with me and please don't be too critical. You opened this story for a reason, so please read on.

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**Rise of the Slayer**

Chapter 1

Buffy had died to save the world. She had taken Dawn's place to close the portal and stop all of hell from breaking loose. But she had taken the one thing her friends could not live without: her. Sure, the world would get along just fine without her, but how would they cope? Spike, of all people, was the most broken up about it. He had loved her, even if she hadn't felt the same at the time. Dawn, the Key, had a sisterly attachment to Buffy, but she had to be strong for the others. Willow, Tara, Anya, and Xander just tried to hold everything together. And Giles…well, he did the only thing a Watcher could.

He prepared for the arrival of the next Slayer.

Only he wasn't prepared for what happened when the next Slayer was chosen.

"What do you mean, the Hellmouth's moved? It can't just disappear! It's a physical thing, isn't it? How could it have moved?" Dawn demanded when Giles told the group.

"I don't know. It just isn't here anymore. There are hardly any vampires or demons left in Sunnydale, which leads me to believe that the Hellmouth has moved to another location," Giles said. "I've contacted the Council, and they believe they know where it has gone. A place has recently received a lot of demonic activity. We're going to have to head there. The new Slayer's been activated where the Hellmouth's moved."

"And where exactly are we going?" Anya asked.

"A village in Japan by the name of Konoha," Giles replied.

"Wait. We're going across the globe…to face demonic activity again? Why can't we just stay here and let the Council train the new Slayer? Why can't we just live a normal life for awhile instead of always going after vampires and evil demons? If Buffy were here, she wouldn't make us follow that damned Hellmouth!" Dawn shouted.

"Dawn…if Buffy were here…we wouldn't have to follow the Hellmouth. It'd still be here," Tara told her quietly.

"Yeah, not to mention that all hell would still be reeking havoc on us. What fond memories we have," Xander put in, trying to break the tension in the air.

"Just tell me why we all have to go to Japan. I can see why Giles does, but we really don't have a reason," Dawn grumbled.

"She has a point. Let's stay away from the danger so we won't get killed," Anya said.

"Well, Dawnie…The new Slayer is going to need a lot of help getting used to her new job. For all we know, she could be going from a weak little prep to a kickass Slayer. Big transition there. She'll probably end up getting her butt kicked the first time she's up against a big bad vamp. So that's why we're going," Willow explained.

Dawn groaned and crossed her arms, but didn't say anything else. There was still a lot of tension in the air due to the news that they would be fighting evil again, only on the other side of the world. This would be a new experience for them all, not just because of the location they would be fighting in.

It would be their first time without Buffy.

* * *

Sakura narrowly avoided slashed by the razor-sharp nails of her foe as she bent backwards. She had a kunai knife at hand and kept trying to stab him, but every time she did so, it didn't seem to have an effect on him. He just kept trying to get her. And he wasn't alone. There were at least two dozen more just like him. None of them had weapons, but their teeth and nails were long and sharp and their strength was incredible. Weapons weren't necessary.

The pink-haired kunoichi wasn't alone, either. She had Sasuke, Naruto, and Kakashi on her side. They, too, were having trouble killing these weird ninja. Even Kakashi couldn't seem to kill them. The only reason they were even out at night was because someone had hired them to protect their livestock from wolves. The person had found their animals dead and thought that wolves had been the cause. But it appeared to be otherwise, for no wolves had come. Only these weird guys who wanted to kill them.

She knocked the guy's feet out from under him and backed up towards the rest of her squad. They were all busy fighting, trying to find a weakness. Sasuke had apparently ruled out using kunai knives against these guys; he was now wielding his demon shuriken as if he were trying to cut his foes' limbs off. Naruto had made a bunch of Shadow Clones and looked as if he might try the Rasengan on his foes. Kakashi was using his Sharingan, but he still struggled to kill them. Although his enemies were lacking a few arms and legs…

She turned back to the one guy the others weren't taking on, the one they had left for her. Sakura was the weakest of her squad, so it made sense that she was only handed one enemy while the others took on eight at a time. She hated being treated like the one who always needed help, but in order to stop that from happening, she had to prove herself. This was her chance.

The weird ninja that came out at night charged at her again. She held up her kunai knife and stabbed him right in the chest with it. He stumbled back a few steps, but he didn't die. He just looked down at the weapon sticking out of his heart with his face distorted by pain before pulling it out and casting it aside. Sakura backed up as he walked towards her again, his teeth glistening in the moonlight like tiny little daggers. She stopped when she ran into a tree and felt the poking of a branch in her back. It was too late to run.

When he lunged at her, she ducked out of the way as quickly as she could. Sakura hadn't expected to escape him, so she was surprised when the man didn't jump down at her. She looked up just in time to see the branch sticking out of his back, as it had gone all the way through, and then the man turned to dust.

_That's it! Wood kills these guys! We've got to stake them through the heart with wood in order to kill them!_ _It's a bit far-fetched, but if it worked with this guy, it's got to work with the others,_ Sakura thought, breaking off the branch that had saved her life and chopping it into four sharp stakes, one for each member of her squad.

She tossed one at one of Sasuke's foes, getting it right in the heart. Sasuke looked towards her as the guy turned to dust and the stake fell to the ground. He seemed to get the picture, for he grabbed the stake she had made while rolling out of the way of a lunging enemy. He used his shuriken to cut off someone's head, and that person turned to dust, too. It seemed that using wood to stake them wasn't the only way to kill these guys.

Sakura repeated the stake throwing process to one of Kakashi's and Naruto's combatants, turning them to dust because that was how good her aim was. Kakashi got it and immediately started to kill his foes. Naruto, however, did not seem to get the picture. He didn't even pick up his stake before fighting again. Sakura groaned and charged in to help him before he could get himself killed.

"Naruto!" she hissed as she staked two guys back-to-back. "Pick up the stake! That's the only way you can kill them! Wood to the heart! They can't be killed by metal unless you cut their heads off!"

"What about jutsu? Are they immune to that, too?" Naruto asked, dodging another attack as someone tried to claw him.

"I don't know! Just do what I told you to, and we'll figure all that out later!" Sakura shouted, killing another of his guys, but then getting knocked down by a girl one.

Naruto quickly picked up the piece of wood that Sakura had called a stake and took out his remaining enemies. Sakura struggled with the girl that had knocked her down, for the girl had made her drop the stake. The girl was looking at her throat as if it was a piece of meat. That made her feel very uncomfortable.

"…I haven't tasted human blood in such a long time…The blood of a human sounds much better than that animal stuff we've been forced to have. I think I'm going to enjoy biting you, little girl. You killed my clan, yes you did. Now you're going to pay, and you'll make me stronger all at the same time," the girl crooned.

"Yeah right, Freak!" Sakura growled, kicking the creepy girl off of her. She flipped back onto her feet, but the girl was already up again. The girl kicked her in the jaw, causing her to stumble back a few steps. She punched the girl in the face, but the girl hardly seemed fazed by it. The girl pushed her back onto the ground and restrained both her arms and her legs this time by straddling her. She smiled down at Sakura with very sharp fangs extended.

"Say your prayers, little girl," the girl purred before sinking her teeth into Sakura's throat.

Sakura screamed in agony as she felt the piercing of those fangs into her neck. She didn't know if the others were coming to her rescue, but she needed to get this girl off of her. The blood was being sucked out of her, she could feel it! Frantically, the pink-haired kunoichi reached around with her overturned hand for the stake she knew was not too far away now. As soon as she felt the solid wood in her hand, she freed her arm from the girl's grasp and stuck it point-first into her heart. The girl screamed, pulling her mouth away from Sakura's throat. Her mouth was stained with Sakura's blood, and she stared at Sakura with hatred in her dark eyes. Then she turned to dust, just like the others.

"Sakura! Are you all right?" Naruto inquired, he and the others running over as she struggled to stand.

"Yeah…I'm fine…" Sakura muttered seconds before falling and becoming unconscious.

* * *

"Does the Council know who the Slayer is? I mean, they know where she is, so that should narrow it down enough for them to locate her, right?" Dawn asked the next day, when she felt a little better about the whole subject. The others were back in the Summers' home, in the living room. Even Spike was there (Giles had explained the situation to him the night before), although he didn't look too happy to be there after the incident with Glory.

"Yes, they're pretty sure they know the identity of the Slayer," Giles replied. "It's a girl, of course, around the age of thirteen."

"That's pretty young as far as Slayers go, isn't it? I mean, Buffy was fifteen when she was chosen. Thirteen…that's like two years younger than all the other Slayers. I didn't think that girls that young were chosen to be the Slayer," Willow said.

"Yes, well…The Council thinks that she was chosen at so young an age so that she can accomplish more before her death. And they said something about her being a ninja with excellent training under a man named Kakashi Hatake," Giles told them.

"Whoa…Ninjas. Really? Those guys exist? So what, this girl goes around killing people dressed in black pajamas? 'Hand over the hairbrush or I'll ninja-kick your ass.' Doesn't seem like she'd be a very nice person," Xander remarked.

"Don't be silly, honey. Ninjas only kick your ass if you steal their boyfriends. So as long as you don't go gay on me, you should be fine," Anya told him.

"Thank you, Anya. I'm not even going to ask how you know that."

"Well, there was this one time I was in Japan during my vengeance days. I was called upon by this girl who was a ninja and this other girl totally stole her boyfriend and she wanted me to kill them both by-"

"That's quite enough, Anya."

"What's this girl's name?" Dawn inquired.

"It's Sakura Haruno, if the guy I spoke to pronounced it right. She is supposedly the weakest member of her ninja squad right now, but with the right amount of training and when she unlocks the superhuman strength all Slayers possess, that should change. Hopefully it won't take long after we get there. We're going to have to do a lot of slaying at the Hellmouth," Giles muttered.

"Yeah, cuz we all know how the creatures of hell swarm to the Hellmouth like moths to a flame. Only the flame hurts the moths and the Hellmouth does absolutely nothing to the demons," Xander said.

"So…let me get this straight. Buffy's been replaced by a lil' girl who couldn't kill a fly, let alone a vampire, and we've got to go over there to show her something that might make her pass out? Oh bloody hell, this sounds fun," Spike grumbled sarcastically.

"She might be stronger than that. I mean, just because she's the weakest on her squad doesn't necessarily mean she isn't strong. All it means is that the others are better than she is. It's like me, Dawn, and Xander. We're not that great in battle, but behind the scenes we're all pretty strong," Tara said.

"Well, most of us are," Dawn agreed, looking right at Xander as she said so.

"Hey! That's…that's not even funny! Just because I usually end up on my back doesn't mean I can't kick ass, too. It's all part of my plan. Let them think that they've got me and then-"

"And then somebody saves you from certain death?" Willow put in.

"No…Okay, yeah but that's only because you guys are always interfering."

"Honey, I think you should stop now before you make a complete fool of yourself," Anya commented, trying to save her fiancé's dignity before he lost it completely.

"Too late by a long shot," Spike muttered.

"Shut it, Spike," Xander said.

"So how long are we going to wait before going to Japan to check this girl out?" Willow asked.

"We'll be leaving in a few days. All the flights to Japan have been booked until then, possibly by vampires and demons heading to the Hellmouth. Until then, we'll just have to hope that Sakura can hold her ground against the undead creatures that would see her dead," Giles replied.

"At least no one knows she's the Slayer right now…right?" Anya inquired. "I mean, when Buffy was around, everyone knew who she was and she was such a big target. Everyone wanted her dead, even me." Upon getting looks from the others, she promptly added, "What? That was only when I was a demon. I haven't wanted her dead for many months now."

"As far as we know, no one has a clue of her new identity except us and the Council. Not even Sakura knows what she is. Hopefully, it will remain that way until we get there," Giles said. "If not, I'm afraid that her ninja training might not be enough to save her, and we might be looking for a new Slayer once more."

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Sakura groaned as she awoke, a dull throbbing pain still present in her neck where the strange girl had bitten her. She opened her eyes to a bright white light, but she knew better than to think that she was dead. Her squad must have taken her to the hospital. Wincing from the pain caused by stiff muscles that hadn't moved in hours, Sakura sat up. Her room was not empty; Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi were sitting in chairs to her left and Tsunade was standing to her right.

"It's about time you woke up. You've been out for nearly twelve hours now," Tsunade remarked. "That was a nasty bite you had there. It caused you to lose a lot of blood. No wonder you passed out. Any more blood loss and we might have lost you."

"…Sorry…I didn't expect her to bite me," Sakura apologized, holding her aching head in her hands. "Then again, I wasn't expecting wood to be the only thing that could kill her and her friends, either. These weren't normal enemies, Lady Tsunade. I think…I think they were vampires."

"You think so, too? Phew! Now I know I'm not crazy, because if I am, that means that Sakura is. And the only thing Sakura's crazy about is Sasuke, so she's got to be right," Naruto said with relief.

"Don't be stupid. Vampires aren't real. These were just a bunch of high ninja who thought they were the undead," Tsunade muttered.

"No, Tsunade. They're right. These guys had no signs of life. They seemed like they should have been six feet under, rotting in their graves. I looked them over and over again with my Sharingan while we were fighting, and they were dead and cold to touch. Them being vampires seems to be the only logical explanation, no matter how illogical it sounds. It's either that, or there's some ninja around that likes to make dead bodies act like they're vampires," Kakashi stated.

"Our kunai knives had no effect on them, no matter how many times we stabbed them. The only ways we were able to kill them was by staking them with wood or by cutting their heads off. We didn't try jutsu, but who knows if that will work. If these guys are really vampires, then they could have a resistance to other things besides metal," Sasuke muttered.

"And you say that the moment you staked them in the heart with wood or cut their heads off, they turned to dust? Hmm…it does sound a lot like a vampire attack. But vampires have been just myths. I doubt the other villages would believe it even if I did," Tsunade said. "Well, I'll try to talk to the Kazekage and see what he thinks, but don't expect anyone to believe in vampires. Unless there's another huge attack, everyone will just think that the ninja in Konoha are stoned off their rockers and probably try to attack us. That's the last thing we need right now."

"So can Sakura leave now? She looks just fine to me," Naruto put in.

"Yeah. Whatever. Just don't let her get bitten again," Tsunade grumbled.

Sakura got out of that uncomfortable hospital bed and followed her teammates out the door. Her hand flew up to her neck, where under a bandage two bumps that had never been there before last night met her fingers. It hurt to touch the area, and she could only imagine what a bruise would appear later on. But she doubted that what happened last night would be the last time her throat, and life, was put at risk. Something within her warned her that there would be more times…

Many, many more times.

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_A/N: End of the first chapter. I know that the Hellmouth could never really move and that this story seems really, really stupid. I'm not asking you to continue reading it when I put on new chapters if you didn't like it. But if you did, please review. Thank you for reading._


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: No reviews the last time I checked. That's okay. I'll keep going with this story, anyway. If you have opened this story, please read on.

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Chapter 2

Sakura couldn't believe it. She was surpassing Naruto and Sasuke in their training. It had been a week since she had been bitten, but she was feeling stronger than ever. It was not due to the bite; it was something within her that had been unlocked and released a flood of power into her. She was not ungrateful. The looks of awe she was getting from the others was priceless. Even Sasuke was looking at her like he couldn't believe she was exceeding his skills.

"Very good, Sakura," Kakashi commented when Sakura performed the task that he had assigned to the group correctly. "It seems that getting bit by a vampire actually did you some good. I'm very impressed."

"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei. I am pretty spry for a girl," Sakura said with a smile.

"Way to go, Sakura!" Naruto cheered, losing his balance and falling over due to his happiness for her. She laughed lightly at him. He popped back up with a goofy grin on his face before running at her. She quickly ran in the other direction, although she knew she looked very childish in the eyes of Sasuke and Kakashi.

Naruto tackled her to the ground, and both of them were laughing on the way down. He began to tickle-torture her and didn't stop, no matter how much she begged. But when his hands reached an area she didn't want anyone but one person to touch, her laughter died and was replaced by pure anger. She pulled back her fist and punched him in the face with so much force he went flying from her into a tree about twenty feet away.

"Naruto! You pervert! Never touch me again, or I'll kill you!" Sakura shouted, on her feet again as she glared at him.

He didn't reply. He didn't even move. Sakura's anger lessened as she realized that she could have seriously hurt Naruto. Kakashi had already run over to him and was checking to see if he was still alive. Sasuke just stood there watching, no expression present on his face as always.

"…He's fine. The force just knocked him out, and Sakura's hit gave him a broken nose. He'll be just fine," Kakashi said. "Had his head been any thinner, he might have been in serious trouble. That blow might have killed someone with weak head. But we all know that Naruto has a hard head, so there's no need to worry." He looked at Sakura with concern in his eye. "Where did that strength come from? You've always been strong, but never that strong. Where is all this advancement coming from?"

"I…I don't know! And I didn't mean to hurt Naruto that badly! Honest! I don't know anything about my ability to surpass Sasuke or where my strength came from! I'm just changing. That's all I know!" Sakura exclaimed, overwhelmed. "I'm so sorry, Kakashi-sensei! I didn't mean to knock Naruto out! As punishment, do you want me to take a thousand laps around Konoha? I'm willing to do that if it will make up for injuring a member of my squad."

"That won't be necessary. I think you should go get checked out by Tsunade, just in case there's something wrong with you. And take Naruto with you. When he wakes up, he's going to be in a lot of pain and I don't want to hear it," Kakashi stated.

"But I just got out of there!" Sakura whined.

"Too bad. You're going back, only this time Naruto's going to be a patient, too," Kakashi muttered, handing Naruto over to Sakura, who reluctantly held the unconscious blonde in her arms.

Instead of trying to argue, Sakura gave in and left for the hospital. She heard Kakashi telling Sasuke to make sure she didn't just drop Naruto off and run, and smiled at the thought that she would be followed by the boy she loved. It made her heart race, although she knew that he was only doing so because Kakashi told him to. He would still be there the whole time. That was enough for her.

She kept walking in the direction of the hospital until she reached the edge of the forest in which she was traveling. Sasuke could easily be heard by the trained ear, so she knew he wasn't too far behind her. Just when it seemed she was just going to the place she was supposed to go, she ran off back into the forest, still carrying the obnoxious blonde. Sasuke immediately changed his course and went after her.

Sakura stopped abruptly behind a tree without letting Sasuke see. He almost sped right past her, but he sensed her chakra had not left the area and stopped a few feet away from her. She silently put Naruto down against the tree before stepping out into the open. Sasuke saw her and looked as though he wanted to be anywhere else. It was all because of her feelings, she knew. She could see it in his eyes. But she had to talk to him. She just had to.

"…Sasuke, why did Kakashi order you to follow me?" Sakura demanded, putting on her angry face, which was extremely difficult.

"He didn't think you'd go willingly on your own. He wants you to get checked out," Sasuke grumbled. "Now that you're strong, he's worried that something's wrong."

"Yeah, I know. The cherry blossom grows some thorns and immediately it means she's ill. But this all started just because I got bit by some crazy vampire lady. Whatever. There's nothing wrong with me," Sakura remarked. "I'm the same person I was before being bitten. I just have some new skills and greater strength."

"And where did that come from?" Sasuke asked.

"I don't know! Shouldn't we just be glad it happened? We should be glad that I'm no longer a burden to this damned squad! I'm strong, I can keep up with you guys and then some, and I can be a ninja just like the rest of you! I'm finally on the same level as you guys! Does that automatically mean there's something wrong with me? Really? Am I meant to be the weak one or it throws off the balance of the group? That's just stupid!" Sakura declared bitterly.

"Sakura, no one's saying that you're meant to be the weak one. And you were never a burden just because you got injured or anything. If that was the definition of a burden, then all of us would be burdens. And no one's ungrateful for your newfound strength. Well, besides Naruto. We're all just wondering from where it all sprang up. We want to make sure that this isn't some weird sign that you're dying or anything. That's all, Sakura. There's no need to get defensive over simple concern," Sasuke muttered.

"…Sorry. I have a tendency to overreact," Sakura apologized, blushing. "…W-Well, I'd better get going. You're welcome to join us without being a ninja for the time being. It's not like Kakashi's going to care. He's probably on some girl's roof reading that book of his, anyway."

Sasuke said nothing to that as she grabbed Naruto again. When she began to walk towards the village again, she heard his footsteps at her side and smiled. He was coming with her.

"What do you think about the vampires? It kind of weird for a myth like that to come to life out of nowhere," Sakura commented, looking over her shoulder at him.

"It may have never been a myth. Vampires could have been living among us for all these years and we just never noticed. But all I can say about the subject is that there is evil here because of their existence. And where there's evil, there's someone there to kick its ass and put it in its grave for good. We just have to wait for that person to show up, and hold off the vampires until then," Sasuke said.

"I wonder who that person is."

* * *

"We'll be leaving tomorrow night," Giles announced. "Pack your necessities and be prepared. Here are your tickets and passports. Don't lose them, or we'll just have to leave you behind."

"We're going already? I thought all the demons had the flights booked until next month," Willow commented, taking her ticket and passport from Giles.

"They did, but there have been a few openings made. Apparently, someone's killed a few of the passengers as to make room for themselves," Giles said, looking slightly guilty. "Anyway, I took their places for tonight's flight. So we should arrive in Japan at around 9 AM their time. Once there, we'll search Konoha for Sakura and tell her what an important role she has in life."

"Yeah, and we'll ruin her life in the process. After all, all Slayers are supposed to die at sixteen. That won't make for a great story, will it? I mean, we should tell her the whole truth about being a Slayer before we force her into the role. I would want it that way," Anya put in. "Then I would never accept the role and would probably run away and get killed by a vampire."

"Anya, honey…Please shut up," Xander murmured.

"So, we're going to be flying in a plane…loaded with demons? What's going to stop them from killing us when we're in the air?" Dawn wanted to know.

"Yeah. Last time I checked, demons weren't the best of flight buddies. They're the kind of fellow passengers that will literally tear you to pieces if you so much as look at them the wrong way. Demons are even worse than that fat guy who wants to squeeze in between you and the seat or the person who snores right next to your ear. I bet the demons do that _and_ bite your head off," Xander said.

"Don't worry. I'll protect the others. I'm sure that Anya can protect your sorry little ass from the other demons. She can talk their ear off or something," Spike muttered.

"Shut it, Spike. You can't take on a whole plane of demons. Even the Slayer couldn't do it. Besides, you might just join their side and watch as they tear us to shreds and make dinner out of us. I say we should just leave you behind with a stake in your chest before you get the chance," Xander growled.

"Oh, those are some big words, Harris. Too bad you'll never have the balls to actually put a stake in my heart. Hell, you couldn't even slay a normal vampire. Buffy had to do all the slaying for you and save your sorry ass whenever you were out with her. Let's face it. You're a weak lil' coward," Spike taunted.

"You better put a lid on it! I have a stake with your name on it right here!" Xander shouted, reaching into his pocket to discover that nothing was there. "Wait…Wait a minute." He ran over to the chest where the weapons were stored and after some rummaging unearthed a stake. "_Now_ I have a stake with your name on it. And I'm not afraid to use it."

Spike made his face go vampire. "Oh, really?"

"Oh shit," Xander grumbled, dropping the stake.

"Guys, cut it out! We've got to be serious here. Tomorrow we're going to meet the new Slayer and there's going to be a lot of dream-crushing and fate-denying and loud yelling and stuff…We don't need to deal with that stuff now! If the demons try to touch us, I'll take care of them, okay? Now sit down before I have to do the witchy thing," Willow threatened, glaring at Spike and Xander.

"He started it!" both of them said in unison, pointing at one another.

"Yes. To address the demon issue, Tara and Willow have agreed to use magic to protect us from any attacks that might come. If their magic should fail for any reason, Spike should be able to take care of the demons. We will all be carrying a weapon of some sort with us as well. But we will not be using them on each other," Giles said.

Xander looked put out as he heard that last bit. Spike returned his face to normal, and didn't seem fazed by Xander's evil glare. He focused his gaze on the red-head witch and her brunette lover.

"Speaking of witchy things, I need to speak to the witches in this room and Lil' Bit _alone_," Spike said.

Dawn and Tara, who had both been silent this whole time, looked at him in confusion, not understanding why he would want to talk to them. Willow, too, was a bit puzzled, but she seemed to understand a little better than they did. When he went outside, she followed without a word. The brunettes decided to follow their smart witch friend.

Spike lit a cigarette and looked up into the sky as he exhaled the smoke. Luckily, he was in shade where the sun wouldn't hurt him. The females he had called outside were all looking at him expectantly. Dawn didn't look like she wanted to be out there with him, of all people. She was still sore about Buffy's death, and although she didn't blame Spike for it, she didn't ever feel comfortable around him. He knew the reason behind her discomfort; he reminded her too much of her dead sister. It was all due to the fact that he loved Buffy and had cried when he saw her corpse lying on the ground after Buffy had sacrificed herself to close the Hell-portal.

"…Well? Why did you call us out here?" Dawn demanded.

"Well, Lil' Bit, I had a crazy thought that could only come true with the use of magic. This thought might make going on a demon-infested flight not necessary cuz the Slayer we all know and love…would be back," Spike replied, looking at Dawn.

"You want to try to resurrect Buffy?" Tara asked, eyes wide.

"And we have a winner, ladies and gentlemen! Yes, I want to resurrect Buffy. She's bound to be better than that child-Slayer we're gonna train. Besides, we're all missing her, aren't we? I mean, Lil' Bit cries every night before she goes nighty-night, and the rest of you aren't any better off. Bringing her back would not just be good for the world, but for us as well," Spike stated.

"You spy on me while I sleep?" Dawn shouted, outraged.

"Hey, it's for your own good. Many a vampires would have gotten you by now if I hadn't been watching you, Lil' Bit," Spike said.

"But…But resurrection is dangerous! There are so many ways it could go wrong! Buffy could come back halfway, like a zombie, or she could not come back at all, or she might come back and be totally different! It's…It's too dangerous! No! We cannot risk it!" Tara exclaimed.

"Why not? We could at least try before we leave to train some child-Slayer-wannabe. If it doesn't work, then you can throw that idea in the fire, but until then I want you to try one time. 's all I'm asking. Can you do that for me, Willow? Can you try one time to bring your friend back?" Spike asked.

Willow looked nervous as she glanced from Spike to an infuriated Tara. Of course she wanted to bring Buffy back. But she knew the dangers and knew the risks it had not only to the caster of the resurrection spell, but also to Buffy herself. Would it be worth it in the end? What if everything went wrong? What if Buffy came from the grave much graver than she had been before?

"…All right, Spike. I'll try, but I'll need the help of Anya and Xander, too. It'll take a lot of energy to bring back the Slayer. Meet me in Dawn's room at seven. I'll have everything set up by then," Willow told them.

* * *

Sakura left Naruto in the hands of Shizune, who was going to heal his broken nose. It had suffered some severe damage, but Tsunade's right-hand woman should have been able to repair it without trouble. Sakura, still walking with Sasuke, then found the Hokage and explained her situation to the Sannin. Tsunade agreed to run some tests and ordered Sasuke to wait outside while she did so, as he was no longer needed.

Tsunade drew two vials of blood from Sakura's arm and handed them off to another medic nin for analysis. She checked the pink-haired kunoichi's chakra and vital levels. She looked at the area where Sakura had been bitten, which was easy to find since the marks could not be healed, and made sure the area had not been infected by some weird infection. She did everything she could to see what might be wrong with Sakura, but no matter what she did or where she looked, there seemed to be nothing amiss.

"I can't seem to find anything, Sakura. Tell Kakashi thanks for wasting my time and that he's just overreacting; you've just hit a power-spurt and he shouldn't be surprised, since you are a teenager now," Tsunade said as Sakura jumped down from the cot she had been sitting on for nearly two hours now.

"Thank you, Lady Tsunade," Sakura murmured, bowing respectfully and then walking to the door.

Tsunade watched her open the door before a thought popped into her head. It was kind of crazy and kind of stupid, but she just had to do it.

"Sakura, come here please. I need to ask you something," Tsunade said, beckoning over the Genin. When she came over to the Sannin, she said, "Punch me in the arm. I want to see what Kakashi calls 'super-inhuman strength.'"

"But Lady Tsunade, the last person I punched could have died from the force. It would be too dangerous for me to hit you," Sakura stated, kind of shocked that the Hokage would even suggest something like that. "I don't want to hurt anyone anymore unless it is absolutely necessary for my own safety. Please don't order me to hit you."

"Oh, come on, Sakura. I just want to test your strength. Don't make me pull the Hokage card on you," Tsunade warned.

She held her arm out for Sakura to hit. Sakura gulped, not wanting to do this after what she had done to Naruto. But she knew Tsunade would not let her go until she did so, so wincing already from the thought of what pain she would inflict, Sakura drew back her fist. Closing her eyes, Sakura released the force right into Tsunade's upper arm.

Tsunade hissed quietly as the girl's fist impacted her. Kakashi had not been lying; she really had become super-inhuman strong. And this had all started to happen when Sakura had been attacked by a so-called vampire. It was too much of a coincidence. There had to be something Tsunade was missing. But right now, she was in too much pain to think about what it could be. She held her arm that would be bruising later, and tried to force a smile onto her face as she looked at Sakura.

"…Looks like…Kakashi wasn't lying about your strength. Try to control your anger for awhile. You could really hurt someone with strength like that. Hell, you could even be stronger than me right now," Tsunade remarked. "Just take it easy today and keep cool. You are dismissed."

Sakura left the patient room feeling a little edgy. No Genin had ever been able to hurt Tsunade before. No Genin was supposed to be able to hurt a Sannin, either. But Sakura had just done so. She felt bad about doing it, but she also felt worried for the first time. Something was wrong with her, something that was making her strong enough to injure powerful ninja. Tsunade had determined that it wasn't a medical condition, but maybe it was something much more serious than that. Maybe Orochimaru had gotten to her while she was sleeping and planted a curse seal on her neck, like he had done to Sasuke. That would explain everything. But she had no proof; she couldn't see her neck. Many other theories like that popped into her head as she walked down the hall.

Sasuke appeared at her side as if from out of thin air. Sakura was surprised that he had stuck around for so long, especially that he had stuck around for her. She tried to smile, but her body lacked the capacity for happiness. She was too full of worry to be happy.

"…What's the matter with you? Did you find out that you were dying or something?" Sasuke asked, voice and face both emotionless.

"…No…I hit the Hokage," Sakura said.

The Uchiha actually cracked a smile at that. "You hit Tsunade? Really? What were you thinking?"

"She told me to. She wanted to test my strength…and…and I hurt her. She really looked like she was in pain," Sakura told him.

"I really find that hard to believe," Sasuke muttered.

"Well, who cares whether you believe me or not? As long as I know it happened, it doesn't matter what you think," Sakura growled. "…Where's Naruto? Is he still in his room or did he leave already?"

"He left when he woke up about an hour ago. He's pretty normal, but he didn't look happy when he left. I believe he's pissed at you. Shocking."

"Look, Sasuke! If you're just going to talk to me like that, you can just leave! I may like you and all, but I'm not going to take that crap from you! You know where the door is, so use your inhuman speed to get the hell out of here before you find out just how strong I really am!"

Sasuke didn't even look slightly intimidated by Sakura's threat. Sakura just got pissed at that, even though he was the boy she loved and Tsunade had told her to keep her anger in check. She just wanted to punch him right in the face even if it did knock him out or cause him an excruciating amount of pain.

But before she could take her anger out on Sasuke, something happened. They were passing the morgue on their way to the exit, and the doors to the morgue were open. A man who had already been autopsied jumped off his cot and ran towards Sasuke and Sakura. Luckily, Sakura had seen him coming and knocked Sasuke out of the way. She grabbed her stake, which she had had since the night she'd been bitten, and got into a fighting stance. The vampire roared and charged at her.

She dodged his claws, and avoided looking down as she fought the recently autopsied man, who wore no clothes. Sasuke looked like he might join into the fight, but that was the last thing that Sakura wanted. She needed to kill this guy to prove that she was indeed strong, as she needed to win every fight she entered. And she needed to do it…alone.

Sakura back-flipped, catching the guy's chin with her foot as she did so. He stumbled back a few steps, but he did not fall. He was thrown off-balance long enough for Sakura to throw her stake at him. She missed his heart by a few centimeters and swore. He ripped the wood from his chest with a growl of pain and looked at it like one might look at a snake.

"…Slayer…" he hissed, glaring at Sakura.

Sakura paid no attention to his word as she punched him right in the face. There was a loud cracking noise as she broke his jaw and made his nose go into his skull at the same time. He hissed in pain, too preoccupied to pay attention to the deadly weapon in his hand because of the pain. Sakura tore it from him and tried to stab him again, but he almost clawed her, so she jumped backwards. Then she kicked him as hard as she could, knocking him back into the wall. It cracked where he impacted the wall; one could only imagine what the attack had done to his insides. He fell to the ground. Sakura leapt onto him, jabbing her knee into his abdomen so he wouldn't squirm, and then put the stake into his heart. He screamed in agony before turning to dust.

The pink-haired kunoichi took a moment to catch her breath before straightening herself. Fighting the vampire had really taken it out of her, but it didn't matter. She had killed him on her own without any help from anything. Not Sasuke, not a tree, not anything. Only she and the stake had fought the vampire. She really was getting stronger and becoming a better ninja.

"…So…Do you believe me now, Sasuke?" Sakura asked, still a bit breathless.

Sasuke said nothing, but his expression said it all. Sakura grinned and walked towards the exit. She stopped when she reached his side.

"Then let's go. We've got to tell Kakashi that there will be many more vampire attacks to come, and that next time they may not be civilians. Next time, they may be ninja vampires," Sakura said.

* * *

Willow and Tara were walking towards the Magic Box to get the supplies necessary for the resurrection of Buffy. Giles was going to be kept in the dark until they were sure the spell worked, but everyone else knew what would happen. Xander and Anya agreed to help with the magic and Xander had volunteered to keep Giles busy while Willow got the magic ingredients. Spike would have, but he didn't feel like going out in the sun.

"…I can't believe you agreed to do this," Tara muttered, not looking at her lover.

"Do what? You mean, bring Buffy back? Tara, I have to. It's best for the world if she's back and besides, the more Slayers, the merrier. At least the Hellmouth will be completely covered if Buffy comes back and this Sakura girl stays alive. Come on, Tara. Don't be angry with me," Willow said, a pleading tone in her voice.

"It won't be good for the world. It'll throw off the balance of things even more than they are already. Buffy's already died and come back once. Doing it again will just complicate the Slayer rules even more. And who knows? Maybe having three Slayers will cause some great evil to take over the world," Tara grumbled.

"Now Tara, don't you think you're being a bit overdramatic? Nothing evil can come from Buffy being alive again," Willow stated. "Don't you want her back? She is our friend, after all. If she comes back the way she's supposed to, it will be just as it was before she died, only without Glory to ruin things. Come on, Tara. Don't be cross with me for wanting my friend back."

Tara didn't say anything, but she didn't lose her troubled expression, either. Willow sighed, but didn't try to press her friend anymore. It would just make things worse. So she just continued on her way into the Magic Box. The bell rang as she opened the door, gaining the attention of Giles, Anya, and Xander, who were at the counter.

They were closing the shop down in Sunnydale, as they did not expect to be back for awhile. Giles wanted everything to be put away into some sort of vault so that no one would steal the magical objects while they were in Konoha. Anya and Xander were helping him with that, although Anya was more concerned about the money. That was to go in the vault, too, but Anya thought it would be safer with her. That thought left her head as soon as she saw who had entered the Magic Box.

"Oh…Hey Willow, Tara…Fancy seeing you here. I mean, it's not like you're here looking for spell supplies, right? Cuz…he he…we're closed today," Anya said.

"Way to go on being inconspicuous, Anya," Xander muttered in her ear before turning his attention to his job: distracting Giles. Xander was holding some sort of fragile relic that Giles had wanted him to be extremely careful with. He knew he'd get an earful, but Xander had to do something to keep Giles from looking over at the witches.

So he dropped the relic.

It shattered into a million pieces with a loud tinkering sound. Giles turned around upon hearing the noise and gaped at the pile of glass that had once been important magic. His gaze turned on Xander, and it was obvious he was more than pissed.

"Do you realize what you just broke? That was the Pillar of Essence! That was the only one left in existence! Now it's gone! I knew I shouldn't have trusted you to handle these things with care! Why did I let you help me?" Giles exclaimed.

"…Sorry…my bad…" Xander murmured, trying his best to look ashamed.

"Damn right your bad! Now we don't have a Pillar of Essence! What if we need to do a powerful spell to rid the world of some horrible demon? We won't be able to use the Pillar to channel the magic!" Giles shouted.

While Giles continued to yell at Xander, Anya slipped around the counter with a shopping bag of resurrection spell supplies in her arms. She handed it off to Willow, who took it and walked towards the door. As she walked out with Tara, she murmured a spell under her breath that would fix the Pillar of Essence that Giles was going off about.

"Now what do you have to say for your-wait." Giles looked back to where a pile of rubble had been just a moment ago. The amethyst Pillar of Essence was back to normal, as if it had never been broken. Giles took off his glasses and rubbed his temples.

"…Can I get back to work now?" Xander asked, mentally thanking Willow for saving his ass.

"Yes…but be careful," Giles grumbled. More to himself, he said, "I don't want to know what just happened. I really don't."

"Good going, honey. You really pulled that off," Anya commented as Xander walked past her with the Pillar in his hands. "Now how did you make it go back together? Has Willow been teaching you magic?"

"No, honey. Willow did that herself," Xander said. "Did you get the stuff to her?"

"Yes. Now all we have to do is keep Giles in the dark and meet in Dawn's room to do the spell. That should be a synch. After all, we'll be using the powers of two witches and the remaining strength of a vengeance demon. We'll bring Buffy back, no problem."

Xander wasn't so sure.

* * *

_A/N:_ _Only one review now. I suppose that's better than no reviews. What did the readers think? Please tell me. Thank you for reading._


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Next chapter! Here we go! Read on!

* * *

_

Chapter 3

Everyone but Giles gathered in Dawn's room, where the spell was ready to go. The group formed a circle, but Dawn was to be excluded. She didn't like that, but it was necessary for her own safety. The spell was going to take their energy and give it to Buffy so she could live again, but if it discovered a powerful source of energy, it would sap it dry. So Dawn was going to leave the room and distract Giles while the others brought her sister back, since she couldn't do anything else. She was not the only one not allowed to lend her powers, however. Spike, being the dead one, was also ostracized from the circle because he was dead and his energy would be dead or something like that. He would help Dawn to distract Giles.

"Is everybody ready?" Willow asked, looking at Tara, Anya, and Xander.

"Yeah. Let's work some magic," Xander said.

"Well, I'm as ready as I'll ever be, so we might as well get this over with before I decide to pull out," Anya muttered.

Tara said nothing, but Willow knew she would not back out, no matter what she felt about the situation. She turned her attention to the two people who would keep Giles out of the room while the spell was going.

"Are you guys ready to do whatever is necessary to keep Giles occupied?" she inquired.

"Yup. You can count on us. He won't know what hit him," Dawn stated confidently.

"…Yeah…What the Lil' Bit said," Spike grumbled, putting out his cigarette.

"All right. Then you two get out of here and let us get down to business," Willow ordered, taking Tara's and Xander's hand.

When the door closed behind Dawn and Spike, she began to say the spell, pleading to a goddess to take their energy to bring back a fallen comrade, Buffy. The other three closed their eyes, and then she did, too. She felt their energy leaving their bodies, and although she could not see where it was going or what was happening to it, she was sure that it was heading towards Buffy's grave to restore life.

While the spell was going on, Spike and Dawn were creating a scene.

"I hate you, Spike! I ought to take a stake to you heart right now, you disgusting jerk!" Dawn screamed, storming into the living room with Spike close behind.

"Hey, I said I was sorry! Can't you forgive a lonely o' vampire for being so disturbing just this once?" Spike pleaded.

"Hell no! Not after what you did! Hell no!" Dawn shrieked. "Get out! Get out! GET OUT!"

"What's all this noise about?" Giles asked, coming over to them holding his suitcases.

"Spike was in my room sniffing my underwear!" Dawn exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at the vampire. "I walked in to grab my stuff and caught him holding up a pair of my underwear to his nose! It was so gross!"

"Say what?" Spike shouted, not expecting her to say something like _that_. Dawn gave him a glance that plainly said to go along with it. He cursed under his breath. "Oh, get over it, Lil' Bit. You have a nice scent."

"Yeah, but not down there! You're a freaking pervert! I want you out and I never want to see your ugly pedophile face ever again!" Dawn yelled. "So get out already, or I'll get a stake and dust you out!"

"Spike, did you…did you really do that?" Giles inquired, looking totally grossed out.

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. But I apologized and told her that I would try to control myself next time I came across her scent. Doesn't that account for something? I mean, 's not like I go around all day sniffing people's clothing, especially not their undergarments. It was just a one-time thing. She can kill me if I ever do it again," Spike said.

"There won't be a next time!" Dawn shouted, now holding a stake. "Die! Die, you son of a-!"

Giles got in the way before Dawn could lunge and try to kill Spike. She banged her fists against his chest and kicked him with her feet, but he had a pretty good grip on her. She threw the stake at Spike, but he caught it with ease. Giles turned to look at Spike, his expression that of a disgusted and angry man.

"Spike…Am I going to have to leave you behind with a stake in your chest like Xander suggested earlier? 'Cuz that's what I feel like doing right now," Giles stated.

"No. I'll go light myself on fire…" Spike muttered, walking towards the door.

"Spike, wait!" Dawn exclaimed as Giles put her down. She made a mad dash for the door as the British vampire opened it.

"I thought you hated Spike for that disgusting thing he just did," Giles said, confused.

"That was before I realized…how much I love him!" Dawn shouted, running out the door after Spike into the dark night.

Giles took off his glasses again and held the bridge of his nose. "I really don't want to know what those two were pulling. That's the second time today something like that has happened. Something has got to be up with everyone…or I've finally lost it." With that thought, he collapsed on the couch, muttering something about having a headache now.

Spike was waiting for Dawn on the steps, lighting a cigarette and not himself. He smiled up at her as she came over to him.

"Nice acting, Spike. We had him fooled!" Dawn complimented, giving him a high-five.

"Yeah, but did you really have to make me out to be so disgusting? Really? Sniffing underwear? If I ever saw anyone doing that, I'd kill them on the spot. Now I've got mental pictures, Dawn. Mental pictures. And I can't get 'em out," Spike said as she sat down beside him.

"Sorry. It was the first thing that popped into my head that would make Giles mad at you," Dawn apologized. "I just hope we bought the others enough time with our little scene, cuz otherwise they're sitting ducks and he's the wolf that's going to bite their heads off."

"I'm sure we gave 'em plenty of time. Buffy will be back 'fore you know it," Spike stated, although he didn't feel as confident as he sounded.

"I hope you're right, Spike. Otherwise…Giles is going to kill you."

* * *

Sakura went out vampire-hunting with her squad that night. They had split up, but could speak to each other via wireless headset, just in case someone got ambushed by a group of bloodsuckers. So far, only Naruto had encountered a vampire, and it had been alone. There seemed to be no un-life about this night. But Sakura kept her stake handy; the night was still young and vampires took their time in making appearances. How she knew that was beyond her, but her instincts seemed to understand the entire truth about the vampire race, so she just went with it.

She had been sent to the deepest, darkest part of Konoha's forestry to look for the fiends, and the only person closest to her was Sasuke. He was in the surrounding forest, where running for help would be a synch. Her old fears made her want to be in his position and his love of fighting made him want to be in her position. But Kakashi had placed them in their locations for a reason, so there was to be no switching. Sakura's newfound strength gave her the confidence to hold her place without much fear, and she really didn't mind fighting that much anymore.

"How's everything over there, Sakura?" Kakashi asked from where he was, on the outskirts of the forest.

"Quiet and vampire-less as always," Sakura muttered.

"Same here," Naruto buzzed in from where he was in the main part of Konoha.

"Yeah, same here," Sasuke grumbled.

"Maybe there won't be anymore coming out tonight. Maybe we should all just go home and call it a night. I'm exhausted, and I still have a dull pain in my nose from where someone punched me earlier today," Naruto complained.

"It is our duty to protect the village from these fiends, Naruto. We will not abandon post just because they haven't made an appearance yet. Suck it up and be a ninja for once," Kakashi ordered in a bitter tone. "If it makes you feel any better, we won't be training until late in the afternoon tomorrow. You can sleep in then and regain your strength without worrying about being punished for not coming to training on time."

"Really? Woo hoo!" Naruto's cheerful voice rang over the wireless connection. Sakura could almost picture him jumping up and down in his excitement.

Her attention was stolen away when she saw movement in the bushes to her right. She took a defensive position with her stake in hand and kept her gaze at the moving bush, prepared to attack the moment she laid eyes upon the enemy. But when the figure emerged from the bushes, she groaned and turned her back to the person.

"What the hell are you doing out here, you porker?" Sakura demanded, arms crossed.

"Shut up about that, Sakura. Blame my parents for the name choice," Ino grumbled. "If you must know about why I am out here at this hour of night…I heard that Sasuke was around and I just had to see him. See? I even got dressed up all pretty for him. That's more than you can say. You're just wearing your normal clothes."

Sakura glanced over her shoulder at Ino. The annoying blonde was wearing a blue dress that extended to mid-thigh with hardly any sleeves. She wore her normal shoes, but she also wore a lot of makeup on her face. Her blonde hair was down, and although it barely reached her shoulders, she still managed to look very pretty in the night with the moon shining down on her. Ino seemed to notice Sakura's jealous gaze, for she smirked evilly and stuck her tongue out at her.

The pink-haired kunoichi rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to watching out for danger. She didn't care that the blonde girl with a name that meant pig was out here; the vampires might go for Ino instead of Sakura since she was armed and the blonde was not. It was rude wishful thinking, but she didn't care. All she wanted was to be left alone.

"So where is my future husband? One look at me and he'll be begging for me to marry him," Ino stated.

"Or he'll be throwing up from disgust," Sakura muttered under her breath. "He's closer to the village. You missed him a little while back. As to where his exact location is…it's anyone's guess. Now get your ass out of here. We're protecting the village from vampires, so unless you want to be drained of your blood, I suggest you turn your ass around and get the hell out of dodge."

Ino snorted. "Vampires? Really? You expect me to believe that one? Everyone knows that vampires aren't real. You're just lying so you can get Sasuke all to yourself."

"The hell they aren't! Ino-pig, I was attacked by one just last week! She nearly killed me! Look at these marks she left on my neck!" Sakura pointed to the two scars on her neck, which were clearly visible in the moonlight. "I didn't get these from some rabid animal or from Naruto! I got these from a vampire! Now unless you want marks of your own, get the hell out of here!"

"I'm not going anywhere until I see Sasuke!" Ino declared, stomping her foot.

Just then, Sakura heard something over the wireless connection. It sounded like fighting, but she could not tell who was fighting and who was not. There was some grunting and some hisses of pain, but that did not help her ID the male because all those things sounded alike for her squad members. Then the guy told the others he needed assistance, and her heart nearly stopped.

Sasuke.

He was fighting a bunch of vampires.

And from the sound of it, he was losing badly.

Sakura took off towards him without giving Ino any warning. The blonde seemed to understand that something was wrong, for she followed. She was much slower than Sakura because she had to make sure her dress didn't get ruined, but she didn't matter anymore. All that mattered was that she reached Sasuke before something bad happened to him, like something bad almost happened to her. She kept running, listening intently to the fight via the wireless connection. Every hiss of pain from Sasuke cut deep into her heart, and she hoped that either she or Kakashi could get there in time.

_Oh, please Kami! Don't take Sasuke away! Please let me reach him before they can kill him! Please let me be fast enough and give me the strength to kill the vampires! Do whatever you must, but don't take Sasuke away!_ Sakura prayed as she ran, not stopping even when she lost sight of Ino behind her.

She pushed aside a branch just in time to find Sasuke on the ground, bleeding from various wounds, and three vampires hovering around him. Sakura glared at them and charged into battle just as they took notice of her. She killed two back-to-back, as she had sharpened both ends of her stake just for this kind of situation. The third tried to run, but she threw her stake and nailed him right in the heart. Then she turned her attention completely on Sasuke.

"Sasuke! How badly are you hurt?" she demanded, kneeling beside him and leaning over to inspect his injuries.

"…It's nothing, Sakura. Just a few scratches…they got me by surprise…" Sasuke stuttered, holding a particularly bad scratch in an attempt to stop the bleeding. "It was an ambush…of about twelve vamps and I wasn't expecting that…I'll be fine. You can go back to your post now."

"Just scratches, huh? You've got a huge gash across your abdomen! We've got to get you to the hospital now!" Sakura exclaimed. Then something hit her. "Oh my Kami! Ino! Where's Ino!"

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked feebly.

"She came out here to look for you. I was arguing with her when I heard your fight. She was right behind me when I came running to save you and then she-! Oh Kami!" Sakura shouted. "Kakashi, get your ass over here! Take Sasuke to the hospital! I've got to go! There's someone else in trouble that could be dead right now!"

Before Kakashi could scold her for ordering her sensei around, Sakura was off, going back the way she had come. She started praying that Ino, her rival, wasn't dead or having the life drained from her. Ino was a horrible person, but she didn't deserve to die. No one deserved to die except for people like Orochimaru. Normal people didn't deserve to die, especially not this way, as someone's snack. She just had to find Ino and save her before a monster could take her life away.

Sakura discovered a blood trail and her heart skipped a beat. Blood trails were bad. They meant that blood had been spilt. But Sakura followed it, still hoping that Ino was alive and that she was putting up a fight against the vampire. Her heart was racing, beating so loudly that she thought it could be heard over the wireless. She certainly couldn't hear anything being said over her heartbeat.

The vampire had his mouth to Ino's throat, and the blonde's eyes were closed when Sakura found them. Her skin seemed paler and lost color with every second that the vampire was on her. Sakura had forgotten her stake in her hurry to save Ino. She would just have to rip his head off…after getting Ino away from him, of course.

She kicked the ugly undead guy in the back, causing him to drop Ino. He turned around and roared at her, blood dripping from his fangs and down his chin. Sakura didn't spare him a second; she jumped onto his back and used her super-inhuman strength to rip his head right off of his body. He turned to dust underneath her. She landed gracefully on her feet, and then she ran over to Ino's unmoving body. The girl did not stir the whole time Sakura had been there. She didn't look good.

The pink-haired kunoichi turned Ino's body over so that she was lying face-up. Blood was still oozing out of the bite marks on her neck; they were on the opposite side that Sakura's were. She felt for a pulse, and sighed with relief when she found a weak one. It was then that she realized she had been crying. But there was no time for tears. Ino needed to get to the hospital, and quick, before she bled out.

Sakura took Ino in her arms and fled into the night. Ino had looked so beautiful earlier that night, but now her makeup was smeared, her hair was disheveled, and the front of her pretty blue dress was covered with blood. Sakura couldn't help but smile as she thought of what Sasuke would think of Ino now. But the smile was not one of happiness; it was of grim jealousy.

* * *

The Scooby Gang boarded their flight an hour after the spell had been cast. They were all anxious about finding out whether or not the spell had worked, but Willow had told them it took time for something like that to take. So that Buffy would not be totally confused when and if she came back, Willow had left a note on the fridge, explaining everything about where they were and what they were doing. Buffy could find a way to get to them or to contact them. Then they'd know if the spell had been worth making Spike out to be a pedophile.

The moment they stepped foot onto the plane, their grip on their weapons tightened. There were demons everywhere onboard, in both first-class seating and normal. They made themselves right at home among the other humans on the plane, who were looking at the demons around them like they freaks of nature. Willow and Tara had already put a magical shield over them, but that really didn't make them feel any safer. They quickly found their seats in the back of the plane and prepared for a sleepless night of worrying whether they would be eaten.

Spike's seat was between Dawn and another vampire from Sunnydale. The vampire was a little taller than Spike, and had tanned skin and long dark hair. His face was in the vampiric form, as were all the other vampires onboard excluding Spike. He was eyeing Dawn as if she was a piece of meat.

"Hey," the vampire whispered, his voice deep. "Let's get the girl beside you and get ourselves a little drink before we take off. If I don't get a quart of human's blood before we take off, I'll be sick the whole plane ride."

"Sod off. You're not going to get any human blood from the Lil' Bit," Spike growled.

"All right. Whatever you say. But when I start throwing up on you, it'll be your-"

The vampire was cut off by a stake that Spike had plunged into his heart. He swore before turning to dust. Dawn looked relieved to see that vampire gone, and Spike didn't blame her one bit. That guy was annoying.

"Want a window seat?" Spike asked.

Dawn nodded and quickly moved to where the now dead vampire had been sitting. She looked out into the night, feeling safe with Spike there. But she kept a firm grip on her silver knife, just in case anything managed to get past him.

"This is great. My first flight ever and it's swarming with death. This is going to be just great," Xander said sarcastically from where he sat between Anya and Giles. "Can it get any worse than this?"

"Well…There could be a troll on here sitting beside you. It could be raining serpent demons. Oh, and there could be a purebred demon from Hell on this plane, just waiting for us all to fall asleep so it can eat us. Those are just a few ways this flight could be worse than it is now. I could name a thousand," Anya declared with a goofy smile.

"Thanks, Anya. That's really what I needed to hear," Xander muttered. He made the mistake of looking over to the aisle and the nearly threw up. "…There's that demon that bites your head off if you look at it the wrong way. He's eating someone right now…and I think he's enjoying that guy way too much. And I'm going to be sick."

"Just don't look at it. You'll be fine as long as you keep your gaze diverted," Giles told him, although he was disgusted by the sight as well, and he was closer to the demon.

"Yeah, but the smell and sound won't help much, either," Xander whimpered, already feeling his dinner in his throat.

"Just think of happy thoughts, honey. I'll even sing to you if you want. It'll drown out the sickly sounds of that demon eating that guy," Anya said. She started singing off-key, "If I could turn back time, if I could find a way…"

"Anya, stop now while you still have a chance. The demon's looking at you like you're going to be its dessert," Xander murmured queasily.

Willow, obviously seeing their peril, made their shield block out sounds and scents. As long as they didn't look towards the demon, Xander wouldn't get sick. She looked at Tara and tried to put her arm around her waist, but Tara shrugged her off and refused to look at her. The brunette was looking out the window with an angry scowl on her face. To Willow's right was a demon with too many horns on its for its own good, although it was a serpent-like creature. But she didn't want to look at it; she wanted to look into the eyes of her lover.

"Love trouble, eh? Tough break," the serpent hissed, its voice high-pitched.

"Oh, shut it," Willow grumbled, turning her back on it. The magical shield protected her from being bitten by the serpent if it tried to lunge at her.

"Hey! We're taking off!" Dawn announced, turning around to face Spike again as the plane jutted forward. She caught Spike with a cigarette in his mouth again and frowned. "No smoking, you moron! You could end up giving us all lung cancer with your secondhand smoke and lesser known third-hand smoke! Can you live with that on your conscience?"

"Maybe…if it's only the demons that die of it. Listen Lil' Bit, if you got a problem with my lighting up, then you can always go sit next to that demon," Spike remarked, pointing at a rather disgusting specimen. "So what's it gonna be, love?"

"…Go ahead…Smoke away," Dawn murmured, turning back to the window.

_God I hope that Buffy comes back. Then she can kick Spike's ass for being such a jerk, just like she used to,_ Dawn thought. _And she's bound to be better than this Sakura girl. This girl's probably never lost anyone in her life. She probably never almost lost someone, either. She probably doesn't even know what death is.

* * *

_

Sakura paced outside of the room where Ino was being worked on, fearful for her friend-turned-rival's life. Tsunade had been in there for over an hour now, trying to restore Ino's lost blood and repair the damaged tissue. Sakura had not been allowed in to see any of it, but she knew things looked bad.

Sasuke wasn't much better off. Shortly after Sakura had run off to save Ino, Kakashi had found him unconscious not too far away from the direction that Sakura had charged in. It seemed that he might have wanted to help her, even in his weakened state. Kakashi and Naruto had rushed him to the hospital. His blood had been all over the front of the Jounin's clothes when Sakura found them. Naruto was missing his jacket, as he had used it to try and stop Sasuke's bleeding. Both of them had gone home to change, promising to be back soon.

Another squad had taken their places out in the night. Team Gai, who as the Jounin had said when Tsunade had called them into the hospital this late at night, "was ready for anything at any hour." Rock Lee and Gai were wide awake, but both Tenten and Neji looked as if they had been woken up when they had just gotten to sleep. They were filled in about who their enemies were and had received stakes of their own to use. Gai took Tsunade's word as truth and therefore so did Rock Lee, but Tenten and Neji looked like they didn't believe in vampires. But they went to do as ordered, anyway.

Tsunade emerged from Ino's room at the same time that Shizune exited Sasuke's. Sakura stopped pacing and looked at them anxiously.

"Ino's stable, but just like you we almost lost her. Her heart stopped for a moment in there, but she is alive and will recover," Tsunade stated.

"Sasuke is stable now, too, and he is awake. His wounds will heal and he'll recover, but it will be awhile. He lost a lot of blood. I feared it was too late, but somehow he pulled through," Shizune told Sakura. "He would like to see you. Says it's somewhat important, and that you should get in there as soon as possible."

Sakura gave her a quizzical glance. Sasuke wanted to see _her_? That was a new one. He never wanted to see her before. What made now so different? Was it because he had almost died or something? Well, whatever the reason was, it couldn't be good. Hesitantly, she walked towards Sasuke's room and opened the door.

The Uchiha was on a hospital cot with a few machines hooked up to him. One beeped with every heartbeat Sasuke had. He was covered with bandages and his shirt was gone, but she didn't pay attention to that fact. Sakura just focused on Sasuke's handsome face that still retained its beauty even though the vampires had not spared it during their attack. He was sitting up and looking at her with those beautiful onyx eyes of his as she came closer. She stopped about a yard away from him.

"…What do you want, Sasuke?" she asked quietly.

"…Why did you run off to save Ino?" Sasuke wanted to know, not answering her.

"What do you mean? I _had _to save her. If I hadn't…she'd be dead now. Kakashi and Naruto were too far away, and you were too weak to do it yourself. I would have stayed with you, but there was another life at stake. I'm sorry if you feel let down by me because I chose her over you, but it was necessary," Sakura remarked.

"I'm not let down. I'm just…surprised. You two are always fighting, so I never expected you to face a vampire for her. That's all," Sasuke muttered. "I would have helped you, but…well, you saw the gash."

"I heard you tried to follow. Your body was found in that direction, you know," Sakura said.

"Yeah, that's what I've been told. Guess I didn't think you could take care of the vamp on your own. I should have known better," Sasuke grumbled. "After all, I've seen you slay them before without any help. You had to save my ass tonight, too. Maybe you've gotten stronger and I just can't accept that." He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. "Well, that's too bad." Then he looked at her again, and Sakura could have sworn she'd seen something shift behind his eyes, like respect. "Here. I believe you lost this saving my hide."

He extended his hand out to her. Hesitantly, she came closer and took what was in his hand. Her double-pointed stake. Somehow, he had gotten it before he passed out. She smiled at him, silently thanking him for retrieving her new favorite weapon. He gave her a small smirk in return, but that was enough.

"Thank you…for wanting to help me. But I think you should worry about yourself a bit more, Sasuke. I don't want to find you dead next time we enter battle with vampires," Sakura stated.

"Trust me, those vampires won't know what hit them. They'll be dust before they can land a hit on me," Sasuke claimed. But from the way he looked right then, it didn't look like he could keep his word on that one. Quietly, as if he really didn't want to say it, he added, "Thank you for…you know…saving my sorry ass out there when you could have gotten killed yourself."

"You're welcome." And at that moment, Sakura couldn't help but think about how things could have been different. Sasuke had wanted to be in the darkest part of Konoha's forestry, where Sakura had been, and Sakura had wanted to be where Sasuke had been. If they had gotten their way, would it have been the same? Would Sakura have almost died and would Sasuke had saved her? And what about Ino? What would have happened to her? Would both girls have died?

She did not know, but she was just grateful that things had turned out well in the end.

* * *

_A/N: End of another chapter! What did you think? Weird, stupid, or eww? Whatever your opinion is, please tell me. It just takes seconds to review. Thank you for reading._


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Here's another chapter for your enjoyment! Please read on!

* * *

_

Chapter 4

Sakura awoke the next morning in Sasuke's room, as that was where she had fallen asleep the previous night. She didn't want to leave him because she was afraid some vampire might emerge from the morgue again and try to kill him. So she hid when Tsunade came to tell her visiting hours were over, and then sat in a chair at Sasuke's bedside the whole night. He hadn't really cared that she was there; in fact, he felt safer with the girl in the room. She could kill vampires faster and more efficiently than anyone else he knew. As long as she was around, he could sleep easy.

Sasuke was still sleeping lightly beside her in the bed. He looked so peaceful that she was afraid to move, fearing that she would wake him. He always acted so crappy because he hardly slept; it would be good for him to get some rest. So she just watched the rise and fall of his chest while he slumbered on.

There was noise outside of the room. The hospital had resumed its normal hustle and bustle, since people were always getting hurt or sick. Tsunade and the medic nin were always busy, regardless of the hour, but nights were usually much more peaceful. It was a miracle that the noise hadn't awoken Sasuke yet. It was also a good thing that Tsunade hadn't come in to check on Sasuke. If she had, Sakura would have been in trouble for spending the night when it was against the rules. But the room had been quiet ever since the night had fallen, with no disturbances from the Hokage or anyone else. Sakura yawned quietly and stretched, still feeling rather tired herself.

_I could almost go back to sleep,_ she thought tiredly, curling back into a ball. _After everything that has been going on, it's nice to think that you can escape it all by just closing your eyes and drifting away into another place. I think I'll get another hour in before Tsunade or Kakashi comes in to wake us._

Before she knew it, Sakura was out like a light again. But as soon as she went back to sleep, Sasuke woke up. He was feeling pain again from that accursed gash he had received across his abdomen, even though Shizune had all but healed it. She was due to come back and finish the job that morning. He could handle the pain for just a little longer, just as long as no one tried to get at him again. There could easily be more vampires in the morgue, just looking for a sick or very injured person to prey on.

He looked over at Sakura, who he could have sworn had been awake just moments ago. She didn't look like someone who could kill vampires in the blink of an eye. In fact, she looked just the opposite. There was a time when she was just the girl on the sidelines, watching as her comrades fought to the death against very powerful enemy ninja. True, she had proven herself to be more than that in the Chuunin exams when both he and Naruto had been incapacitated and she had been left to protect them against three Sound ninja. But she had been the weakest of them.

Not anymore.

If nothing else, she was equal to Sasuke and Naruto, especially when it came to fighting vampires. It was like it was in her blood to kill them; she did so without hesitation, as if it came naturally to her. All of this strength and skill had arisen right after she was bitten by that creepy vampire lady, but Sasuke didn't think that it came from the bite. It just needed that extra push to come to the surface and show itself to the world. Now that he thought about it, Sasuke actually liked this stronger Sakura. Now she would be of use to the squad more than she had been before. And she wouldn't be clinging onto him or Naruto when things got tough.

But with three strong people on a squad, would it matter if one disappeared?

He really didn't want to think about that, but the thought just popped into his head. Power was one of the things he wished to gain in order to avenge his clan. Orochimaru claimed he had that power and would give it to Sasuke if only he would join his cause. Sasuke hadn't wanted to do so…until he realized how strong Naruto had become. Sakura had been his lean-on post; as long as he was stronger than her, there was no need to leave and become evil. But now she was just about as strong as he was, if not stronger. What would keep him back, now that his lean-on was gone?

Maybe she could become more than a lean-on holding him up. She had always wanted to win his heart, anyway. Maybe if he tried really hard, he could learn to appreciate the good person Sakura really was and ignore the annoying things she did. There was no way he could learn to accept Naruto; he was just too annoying. But Sakura…

_No. That's crazy. Never gonna happen,_ Sasuke thought, shaking his head.

Sakura stirred and opened her beautiful emerald eyes for the second time that morning. She noticed that Sasuke was awake and smiled.

"Morning, Sasuke," she murmured. "How are you feeling?"

"…As well as can be expected…when you have a huge painful gash across your midsection," Sasuke muttered, sounding a bit more cold than he meant to.

"Oh. Would you like me to fetch Lady Tsunade or Shizune so they can help you with that? I'd be more than happy to, if that's what you need me to do and all. I mean, I have nothing better to do, anyway, what with training being delayed and you being incapacitated. So I'd be more than happy to help you," Sakura offered.

"…Whatever…" Sasuke grumbled, turning his back to her.

"Oh. Uh…Okay." Sakura sounded a bit put out as she stood up and headed for the door. She was surprised with Sasuke's inhospitality after all she had done for him. Hell, she had saved his life last night when he was about to become vampire chow or worse. And there he was, giving her the cold shoulder.

_It's just because I'm strong now and I don't need him to protect me anymore,_ Sakura thought, grabbing the doorknob. _He just can't accept that the cherry blossom has thorns and can defend herself without any help. Stupid boy...Stupid stubborn Uchiha pride. He doesn't know a good thing when he sees it, even if it hit him in the face._

She opened the door to find Shizune was running towards it already. The dark-haired woman had obviously realized that Sasuke needed her and was coming without Sakura informing her. The pink-haired kunoichi stepped aside so the woman could enter, and then closed the door with her on the other side. She didn't want to look at the arrogant boy anymore, not after how ungrateful he had been. It was things like this that made her question why she ever fell in love with him.

Sakura went home without another thought of the cold-hearted Sasuke Uchiha.

* * *

Giles and the others quickly ran away from the flaming carnage that had been their plane not too long ago. There had been commotion after they had landed between the demons and the humans, so the only solution the gang could come up with was blowing the plane up so that the demons would not prove a menace later. Spike had distracted the demons while the humans were let off. Then the gang ran off and Willow made the plane go boom. There would be no way of connecting them to the flaming pile of metal, but they wanted to get as far away from it as possible.

"Well, that was the best plane ride I've ever been on," Xander grumbled as he carried his and Anya's luggage. "Remind me to never fly again."

"Oh Xander. Lighten up. It wasn't that bad. At least you can say your flight was full of excitement and had an explosive ending," Anya said.

"Now what are we gonna do? Ask around and see if anyone knows a Sakura Haruno? We're not even in Konoha. We're in stinking Tokyo, and from what Giles told us, Konoha is like twenty miles from here. How are we supposed to get there?" Dawn asked, carrying her luggage and wishing she had packed fewer weapons.

"Well, that's easy. We just hail a cab," Anya told Dawn, although she really didn't know. She looked around, then demanded, "Where are the damn taxis in this place?"

"They're in town, Anya. And we couldn't ride a taxi into Konoha, anyway. It's less developed than what we're used to, and Konoha's surrounded by forest life. We're going to have to walk there and then ask around for the Slayer," Willow told her.

"We're going to have to walk the whole way? In this sun? I'm a dead man," Spike, who was hiding from the sun under a blanket, complained. "I knew coming here was a bad idea. 'This place is going to kill you,' I said. Why didn't I bloody listen to myself? I could be back in Sunnydale reeking havoc upon those who think all the demons have left the area. But no. I had to bloody come with you guys."

"I'm sorry, Spike. You're just going to have to suck it up and hope the sun's position doesn't change too much along the way, or we'll have to carry you in an urn," Xander remarked. On the inside, he was grateful for the bright sunshine and hoped it killed Spike.

"Hey, who are those guys over there?" Tara inquired, pointing at a group of men dressed in green vests and wearing similar headbands with a weird symbol on them. One was wearing a mask over the lower portion of his face.

"From what my informer told me, those men are ninja from the Leaf village," Giles replied. "Perhaps they can help us get to Konoha quicker, and before Spike becomes nothing more than a pile of ash."

"_Right_. I'm sure they'd love to help a vampire get into their homeland when all hell is breaking loose on their precious lil' village. And if they find out what Willow and Tara are…well, there'll be burnings in the Leaf village. I say we just start walking and leave the ninja alone before they start questioning us about why we're here," Spike muttered, turning to leave.

The gang turned with Spike to leave, but one of the ninja spotted them and ordered them to halt. They froze, too afraid to move as they knew ninja were kickass and quick enough to catch them if they tried to run. The group of five ninja encircled them. Spike did his best to hide his face and keep from combusting by the sun while the ninja had him surrounded. One of them seemed to recognize Giles, for a smile broke out on his face.

"Giles! You made it!" he exclaimed, hugging the Watcher.

Everyone looked at the ninja as if he was crazy or something. That crazy gaze shifted to Giles when he returned the gesture. It was obvious that these two were familiar with one another, and that the ninja might as well have been Giles' informer.

"Well hello, Rukio. It's wonderful to see you again as well. If only it were under different circumstances. I would love to chat over tea with you, but there are matters that require our attention. I just hope we're not too late," Giles muttered. "How are things proceeding over in Konoha? How many attacks have there been? Has anyone died during these attacks? And have any ninja been turned into vampires?"

The blonde-haired ninja whom Giles had called Rukio went straight to the point. "The ninja are trying their best to keep the vampires down. So far, they haven't failed to kill them, but that's not saying that there haven't been casualties. I cannot give you an exact number of attacks there have been, as there have been many. But I can tell you that the Slayer has been in the middle of most of them. She was just in an attack last night, where she saved the lives of two of her comrades. I cannot tell you if any fallen ninja have been turned into vampires, but I wouldn't doubt it. The morgue is being guarded carefully, just in case someone gets up again."

"Does she know who she is already?" Giles asked.

"No. But she realizes that she has better skills and strength than she had before. And she was the first person to figure out how to kill the vampires. We're just lucky she hasn't gone up against werewolves yet," Rukio stated. "From what I remember, those guys were worse than vamps."

"Indeed."

Rukio cast his emerald gaze to the people standing behind his friend. "Who are your friends, Giles? They seemed to be shocked that you are talking with a ninja Council member. And I'm surprised you haven't had introductions yet."

"Oh. Right. This is Xander, Anya, Willow, Tara, Dawn, and…Spike. I believe I already told you about them over the phone," Giles said, gesturing to each person as he said their name.

"Ah yes. The witches, the ex vengeance demon, the Key, and the vampire who has slain two Slayers in his un-life. And of course, the human. What stories I have heard about the bunch of you. I am Rukio, the man who has been sent by the Council to be the new Slayer's Watcher. With assistance from Rupert Giles, of course," Rukio said. "Now, we must get you to Konoha at once. The Slayer may be able to handle normal vampires who don't know what they're doing, but she won't be able to handle the _real_ dangers when they start showing up."

"Excuse me. Some of us can't walk twenty miles in the sun," Spike grumbled, now standing in a shady spot as to cool down from nearly combusting under the blanket.

"Who said anything about walking? We'll be running, and once we hit the forest, there won't be too much sun for you to worry about. And these kind gentlemen standing around you will be more than happy to carry your suitcases to Konoha. The Hokage has already been informed of your arrival and she knows exactly where the Slayer is, so you'll have very little searching to do," Rukio said.

The four ninja took their suitcases, seeming unaffected by the weight of it all. Anya thought one of them was pretty hot and started checking him out, but Xander caught her doing that and quickly pulled her away from the ninja.

"All right. We're running. But how can you expect normal humans to run twenty miles and get there quickly? Some of us may have special powers, but running super-fast without getting exhausted is definitely not one of them," Xander pointed out.

"Well, I can do a Teleportation Spell. It'll get us there quicker, and we won't have to worry about getting tired or anything. I can do it right now and get us all to Konoha in a matter of seconds…and hopefully in one piece," Willow volunteered.

"If you think you can transport us all with the spell, then go ahead," Rukio murmured.

Willow began muttering whatever was necessary to do the spell that would land them all twenty miles away, in a village that had no computers or TVs or anything like that. The group was enveloped in a bright light, and then they disappeared.

* * *

Sakura went in to check on Ino later that day, although she knew that the blonde didn't like her that much. She just wanted to be sure that Tsunade hadn't screwed up and that Ino really was alive, not dead or a vampire. No one else was in the room when she opened the door, and Ino didn't seem to care that she was alone. Just like Sakura had when she got bitten, the blonde had a bandage on her neck. She didn't seem to like that, for she had her knees pulled up to her chest and her forehead was resting on them. Luckily, someone had changed her out of her bloody dress and into her normal attire so that Ino didn't look like a she should have been in a coffin.

The blonde didn't even wince or make a move to see who had come in when Sakura closed the door. Sakura found that odd. Ino was usually so nosy or social, as she always had something to say and she never wanted to be left out of anything. She should at least be checking to see if Sasuke was checking up on her. But no; Ino didn't even move. Sakura couldn't help but be concerned for her friend-turned-rival, as she had never seen her be so miserable.

"Ino?" she whispered, approaching the bedside. "Are you okay, Ino?"

She lifted her head up, a look of surprise on her face. Sakura assumed she wasn't used to hearing Sakura address her without adding pig or porker to the sentence. There was a dim light in Ino's blue eyes, as if she were at least a little happy to see the pink-haired kunoichi. But then her eyes lost their light, and she put her chin on her knees. At least she wasn't hiding herself anymore.

"You know, we were friends once. You can talk to me about anything. I won't tell anyone," Sakura said, pulling a chair up so she could look at Ino while they spoke.

"…I don't feel like talking right now, Fore-I mean, Sakura," Ino muttered.

"Are you feeling bad because you were attacked by a vampire last night and almost died?" Sakura asked.

"…Sort of…But from what I hear, I wasn't the only one. Poor Sasuke-kun nearly got torn to ribbons by those guys. I never thought that vampires could really be real. Heh. And you tried to warn me about them, too," Ino murmured. She cast a glance at Sakura. "Why did you save me last night? I mean, you ran to Sasuke and you probably wanted to get him here as soon as you saw him. But then…you came back for me. Why? If you had just left me to die with that vampire…you'd have had no competition for Sasuke's heart. And you hate me for everything I've ever done to you. Why did you save me, Sakura?"

Sakura was stunned by her question. She really didn't know _why_ she had done it; she acted without thinking. But seeing the vampire holding Ino with his mouth at her throat… it pushed her over the edge.

"…What other choice did I have? I couldn't have let you die, and I couldn't have you roaming around as a vampire. So I did the only thing a person could have done in my position…I saved you from the clutches of death and un-death. Besides, if he'd turned you, well…we couldn't have that immortal beauty strutting around in front of Sasuke, now could we? You'd win, hands down," Sakura teased, smiling at Ino.

Ino returned her smile with a tiny one of her own. It turned into a frown as she thought about things. "…Yeah…but now he'll never look my way again. Not with these horrendous bite marks on my neck. Who wants a scarred girl, anyway?"

"You're not alone. I have them, too, only on the other side," Sakura remarked, pointing at the marks on her neck like she had last night. "A crazy female vampire got me because she really wanted human blood. She nearly killed me. But I managed to kill her before she got too much."

"Cool. So what are you, some kind of vampire slayer?" Ino inquired, looking interested.

"I don't know. Maybe. But if that's true, then everyone on my squad would be considered a vampire slayer. We've all killed them, even though I've probably killed the most."

"…Well…It looks like we're both out of the Sasuke competition, since we're both scarred now. There's no way he would consider beautiful women flawed by bite marks." Ino sighed, sounding really put out by that fact. "If only boys weren't so arrogant and could overlook tiny flaws like that."

"He might be able to. After all, they're barely noticeable. And even if he's not the one for us, we can find some guy who can appreciate us for who we are, on the inside and out. And Sasuke's not that great, anyway. He was so rude to me this morning after I saved his life. What a jerk."

So Ino and Sakura spent the afternoon gossiping about how horrible Sasuke could be and what a great guy would be like. It was just like old times, when they were friends before they discovered Sasuke. It was great to not be insulting each other again. Sakura felt herself smiling like she hadn't in a long, long time and she didn't feel the least bit depressed. What a good feeling this was.

But good things can't last forever.

* * *

The gang and their ninja companions found themselves not surrounded by city skyscrapers and city life but by forestry and lesser developed buildings. It was almost as if Willow had transported them through time. The people looked normal, but everything else was like from a hundred years ago. Konoha had a peaceful feel to it with its ancient way of life, and it even had its own version of Mount Rushmore, only the faces weren't of presidents.

Rukio seemed right at home here, which made sense as he lived in these lands. He turned to the Americans and British people with a broad smile.

"Welcome, my friends, to Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Leaves," he announced.

"It's still too sunny here!" complained Spike, running to the shadows of the trees.

"This place is beautiful for the location of a Hellmouth. It looks so peaceful and natural…so unlike Sunnydale. I mean, look at all the trees and the flowers and the wildlife and you can actually see the sky without any smoke getting in the way. It's so clear and crisp. I love this place," Willow remarked, spinning around to take in everything she could see.

"Yes. I hear that many witches find villages such as Konoha to be serene places, especially after they have left the major cities full of pollution. I agree, for I have seen more modernized places and their technology dulls in comparison to Konoha's majesty," Rukio stated with a smile in Willow's direction. Tara glared at him silently, not liking the way he was staring at her girlfriend.

"What's with Mount Rushmore being here? I thought only the United States carved faces into stone," Dawn said.

"Ah, those are the faces of our great village leaders. We call them the Hokage. We have had a total of five Hokages, one of which rules over our village right now. The First and Second Hokage were siblings and founded our village. Both of them have been dead for some time now. The Third died not too long ago during an attack from a very evil village named Oto no Kuni, or the Sound village. The Fourth died thirteen years ago sealing a nine-tailed fox away into a child so it would not destroy the village. And the Fifth, whose face has not yet been added to our monument, has just taken over. She is the first female to lead this village, and so far, she is doing a great job," Rukio told the group.

"You've had demons attack this place before the Hellmouth moved?" Giles asked.

"Yes, but not the kind that you are used to hearing about. There are demon spirits with a number of tails that roam our lands. We have no idea where they come from, but we are sure they share no connection to the demons from Hell that we fight. Many of these tailed beasts have been sealed away into humans in an attempt to control their power, but it is said that some still roam free. They do not just attack our village. They go after other villages as well. We've only had that one demon, the Kyuubi. I would tell you who has the beast sealed within him, but it is prohibited to even speak about it," Rukio remarked.

"Perfectly understandable. If I had a demon stuck inside of me, I wouldn't want the world to find out and come chasing me with guns and pitchforks calling me an abomination," Xander said.

"No one ever did that to me," Anya put in, tearing her gaze away from the hot ninja to pout at Xander. "All they did was scream in terror and run all over the place when I came around, no matter what time period I showed up in."

"That's because you were there to kill them and you didn't have a demon in you. You were the demon," Xander pointed out.

"Well, we should get going. The Fifth Hokage is expecting us," Rukio stated. He turned to his fellow ninja and directed them to take the gang's stuff to the place where they'd be staying and then join them in the Hokage's office. Then he focused his attention on the gang again and told them to follow him. Spike groaned, but went back into the sun to do as Rukio ordered.

A few people in the group forced themselves to look at the woman's face when they met the Hokage. She was a blonde woman with a diamond-shaped thing on her forehead who was very beautiful. Her eyes were brown and serious, which probably because of the position she was in. Then there was her overly large chest. Even Giles had to fight to keep from staring at it. Spike was the only guy who could care less.

"Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce to you the Fifth Hokage, the wonderful Lady Tsunade," Rukio introduced, bowing respectfully to his leader.

"You guys must be the people Rukio told me about, the ones who have been associated with vampires and slayers before," Tsunade muttered as she scrutinized the gang. "We have never had to face these mythical creatures before, so we need all the help we can get to keep their forces at bay. I've already had many casualties against these bloodsuckers, and I don't plan on having any more. Will you lend your skills to us and aid my village in its hour of weakness against vampires and any other supernatural creature that we are unprepared to deal with?"

"Yes," both Giles and Xander said at the same time.

"Well, we're going to have to help train the Slayer, too. Then she can be a kickass ninja vampire slayer that no one can beat," Dawn commented.

"The Slayer…you say that this person is Sakura Haruno, right?" After receiving a nod from the majority of the gang, Tsunade went on, "I know exactly where she is. But you'll be unhappy to know that she has already been bitten once and was nearly killed."

"Damn! What a shame!" Spike grumbled, drawing unnecessary attention to himself. "Now if only that lil' bugger had succeeded! Cuz the last thing we need 's to train a weak lil' brat who is too young to be a damn Slayer!"

Tsunade glared at the vampire and a kunai knife seemed to appear in her hand out of nowhere. "I can assure you that Sakura Haruno is NOT weak. She's killed more of your kind than anyone else in this village, and that's saying something." She tossed the kunai knife in the air a few times before turning to Rukio. "Are you sure we can trust that guy? He's already killed two Slayers and has tried to kill the last one a few times. I know that metal won't kill him unless I use it to cut off his head, but if he poses a threat to Sakura, I will not hesitate to play Slayer and dust him."

"No, he's trustable…mostly. And Rupert here will be sure to keep an eye on him, you can count on it," Rukio assured her as Spike glowered at the Hokage.

"So where can we find Sakura?" Dawn asked.

"The hospital."

* * *

_A/N: Another end to another chapter. What did you think? Tell me in a review, please. Thank you for reading, and thanks to all that reviewed prior to this chapter._


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Well, I don't have much to say except for to please read on and thanks for the reviews. =)

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Chapter 5

Rukio led the gang to the hospital and to the room that Sakura was most likely in, according to Tsunade and common sense. People gave them odd glances as they walked by, as they were not used to seeing Americans and a British guy. They stuck out like a black dot on white paper, but that could not be helped for the time being. The gang would just have to deal with the looks.

Spike had been unable to join them, for he did not want to go out in the sun anymore and really didn't want to meet the new Slayer. He remained with Tsunade in the Hokage's office, hiding in a dark corner where the light from the window would not hit him. She was not happy with him because of his comment about Sakura and couldn't wait for nightfall. He didn't like her, either, because she was not afraid of him and could kill him at any time if she wished. He had to keep his guard up while he was around her.

"Well, this place is about as cheery as all the hospitals I've ever been in," Xander muttered as they passed a few rooms. Everything was quiet and gloomy.

"What do you expect? People here are ill, injured, or dying. There wouldn't be any happiness here except in the maternity ward, and even then there can be sadness," Willow remarked. "My question is why Sakura would be here. We heard that she hadn't been injured recently. Is she visiting someone?"

Rukio nodded. "She saved two of her fellow ninja's lives last night. A boy and a girl. My guess is that she's visiting the boy, as she has a crush on him. His name is Sasuke Uchiha, and he is the last member of his clan. And the girl is named Ino Yamanaka. She also likes Sasuke and was once a friend of the Slayer's, but that ended when they discovered the boy. Now they're rivals."

"Oh yes. Those were the days. One day you were friends with someone and next you want to rip their throats out," Xander said. "And it's all over some guy who could care less about either girl. What good days those were."

"If they're rivals, then why did Sakura save her? I mean, she could have easily let the pig die and then she could have Sasuke all to herself. I would have done that if I was in her place and that girl wanted my Xander. And I'd have no remorse," Anya stated.

"Anya…that's because you were a demon," Xander grumbled.

"Yeah. But that won't happen. No one wants you, anyway. I'm the only girl you're ever going to get," Anya said.

"Yup. I'm such a lucky guy."

"So what? Is this Sasuke guy a girl magnet or something?" Dawn asked, curious.

"You could say that. He does have quite a few admirers because he's such a skilled ninja and also because the girls think he's cute. But he really isn't a people-person. He…well, he's just plain cold-hearted. But it kinda makes sense that he is that way. He did, after all, have his whole clan massacred by his older brother," Rukio replied.

"His older brother? But why?" Tara inquired.

"Who knows? I have heard it said that his brother told Sasuke that he was 'measuring his capacity' for killing people. Sasuke was only seven at the time and was completely outmatched by his brother who was thirteen. No one knows why Itachi spared Sasuke's life. The only trace of reason we have is that Itachi didn't think Sasuke was worth killing. Now Itachi is part of an organization that threatens all of Japan, the Akatsuki," Rukio explained.

"And that organization is made of only humans?" Giles wanted to know.

"Isn't that enough? Some of them don't look human, and I've heard rumors that some defy the order of things and know no earthly bounds. But they are man for the time being. If they come in contact with vampires, werewolves, or the like, Japan is sure to fall."

"Well, isn't Japan just full of gumdrops and sunshine," Xander muttered.

"Here's Sasuke's room," Rukio said, stopping in front of the door with the number that he had been given by Tsunade herself. "If Sakura is in here, we'll have to get her out. The fewer people that know of her true identity the better. We don't want any supernatural beings to be able to suck that information from anyone. Her life is already in enough danger as it is."

Rukio opened the door and let the gang in. Right away they knew Sakura wasn't there, as there were no pink-haired girls in the room or any people in the room at all. Sasuke looked up at them from his seat on the cot, his shirt still off despite the fact that his injuries were healed. He didn't even know why he was still there, but Shizune had told him not to leave until Tsunade came for him. Now he was being confronted by a bunch of strangers that looked to be foreigners.

He stood up and reached for the kunai knife he had kept in his pocket. Even though the foreigners were in company with a Leaf ninja, Sasuke didn't trust them. Rukio seemed to notice this because he stepped in front of the gang and made it difficult for Sasuke to get to them. The Uchiha did not put away his weapon.

"Calm down, Sasuke. These people are not here to harm you. Put your weapon away immediately," Rukio ordered. Sasuke reluctantly complied. "We're looking for Sakura. Do you know where she is?"

Sasuke kept his untrusting gaze on the gang, but did respond. "I haven't seen her since this morning. But my guess would be Ino's room. It seems Sakura is a bit upset with me or something. Not that I care. It would be nice if you'd tell me why there are foreigners here, looking for her. After all, you did intrude into my life with them."

"Their presence is no concern of yours. They are here to see Sakura," Rukio stated bluntly as he ushered the gang back out the door. "My apologies for our intrusion."

_He is kinda cute, _Dawn thought as she looked at him one last time before Rukio closed the door. _I can see why a friendship would be ruined over him. But that attitude has got to go if he wants to make friends. That's the only thing unappealing about him. Well, that and the fact that his hair looks like a duck's butt._

"Sorry. I suppose I was wrong. Let me take you to Ino's room. She's just down the hall," Rukio said, leading them towards the said room.

He grabbed the handle and turned, opening the door.

* * *

Sakura and Ino fell silent when the door opened. A Leaf Jounin they didn't know walked in, followed by a group of foreigners. Sakura did not know why they were there or who any of them were, but something told her that their presence was not a good thing. She turned to face them the same way she would face an enemy-with a stone hard look.

"…My apologies for interrupting your conversation, Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka. My name is Rukio, and I am here to discuss important matters with the cherry blossom, matters that deal with the appearance of vampires," the Leaf nin said, looking at the two girls. "Ino, I am going to have to ask you to leave. Lady Tsunade has given you permission. You can go home now. So if you could go now, that would be very kind."

Ino went to stand, but Sakura put a hand on her arm, stopping her. The pink-haired kunoichi would not be having her only female friend leaving the room just because there were important things to discuss.

"No. She stays. And I don't care what you say. If it's important enough to say to me, it's important enough to say in front of her," Sakura told him.

Rukio exchanged glances with one of the foreigners, a man who was wearing glasses and clothes one usually saw a Brit wearing. The Brit nodded once, and Rukio returned to looking at Sakura and Ino. The eerie feeling of this not being a good meeting never left Sakura. It got stronger with each passing moment.

"Sakura, you may have noticed that you've gotten stronger and your skills have improved ever since you first encountered vampires. People have thought something was wrong with you and sent you to get checked out only to find that you were perfectly healthy, and yet there still seems to be something unnatural about your sudden advancement. You were the first person in Konoha to figure out how to kill vampires, and ever since that night you first slain their kind, it has come easy to you. Have you ever wondered why that was?" Rukio asked.

"Well, yeah. Who wouldn't want to know why they've suddenly become kickass?" Sakura countered, on the defensive.

"Do you know that there have been vampires for centuries, roaming the Earth with the desire to kill and the thirst for human blood? They could have destroyed the entire human race long ago. But with the rising of evil, there is the rising of good equally strong. Powerful women have appeared across the centuries that were born to take out these threats to humans, women who could take out these monsters with just a piece of wood and some inhuman strength. These women were called Slayers," the Brit went on where Rukio left off.

_Slayer? That's the word that vampire in the morgue hissed at me,_ Sakura remembered. _Wait! Are they trying to tell me that-!_

"Sakura Haruno, the last Slayer died saving the world from unspeakable evil. Now you have been chosen to be the next Slayer and to protect the world from the evil that stalks the night in the forms of vampires or worse. There are things that go bump in the night. And it's your job to bump them back. You are the only thing that stands against evil. This is your duty," Rukio proclaimed.

Ino's eyes widened with shock, as she couldn't believe that her friend had been chosen for such a job. Sakura was shocked as well, but she controlled hers a bit more than Ino did. Now things made a little bit more sense. However, more questions than answers popped into her head. How could she be the Slayer? How could she protect the entire world from evil when she was just one person? And what was worse than a vampire? She both wanted and didn't want to know the answers to these questions. As she thought about this, the conversation she had had with Sasuke just the other day surfaced into her mind.

"_**What do you think about the vampires? It kind of weird for a myth like that to come to life out of nowhere," Sakura commented, looking over her shoulder at him.**_

"_**It may have never been a myth. Vampires could have been living among us for all these years and we just never noticed. But all I can say about the subject is that there is evil here because of their existence. And where there's evil, there's someone there to kick its ass and put it in its grave for good. We just have to wait for that person to show up, and hold off the vampires until then," Sasuke said.**_

"_**I wonder who that person is."**_

_That person...is me. And I never knew it until these strangers came into my life,_ Sakura thought, wanting to be angry with them for burdening her with the weight of the world, but unable to at the moment.

"With the Slayer comes the Council, an organization that has been training Slayers for over the course of a century now. They have assigned me to be your Watcher, the person who will prepare you for any foe that you might come up against. My friend Rupert Giles here," at this, Rukio gestured at the Brit, "was the Watcher of the last Slayer. He will be assisting me with your training. The other people were associated with the last Slayer as well and will be aiding you in any way they can. Allow me to introduce them.

"The red-head is Willow. She is a highly-skilled witch who was very beneficial to the last Slayer. Her brunette friend here is Tara, who is also a witch. Then there's the blonde Anya, who was once the most feared vengeance demon in the world but was somehow turned back into a human by the last Slayer and Rupert. She is handy…information-wise, and she can also do spells. The little brunette girl is Dawn, sister to the last Slayer, who is also the Key. I'll explain that to you later. And then there's Xander. Nothing much to say that will make him seem outstanding."

"Hey! You shut your mouth! I'll have you know that I've done a lot for Buffy and the others when they needed me!" Xander exclaimed, glaring at Rukio.

"Yeah! Whenever we needed someone to break the tension in the room when things were getting too serious, Xander was always there to make us laugh! So you stop making fun of my Xander just because he's a normal human with no special talent!" Anya demanded.

"Thanks, honey. Way to make an impression on the new Slayer," Xander muttered.

"…So…I'm the Slayer…" Sakura murmured.

"Yes. You are the Slayer," Rukio replied.

"Is this some kind of joke? You think you can come into my life, claiming to have an explanation for my sudden burst of skill and throwing foreigners into my face just so you can have some girl to protect the world? Get someone else! I'm not going to fall for this because there is no such thing as a Slayer! And I refuse to work with foreigners from America or England or wherever the hell they came from, regardless of what they can do! You can't ruin my life! I will not let you!" Sakura exclaimed.

She ran past them and out of the room before anyone could stop her. People had moved out of her way so they would not be trampled by the might of the Slayer. She sped out of the hospital, trying to ignore the tears that were flowing from her eyes.

"Well, that worked out nicely," Xander remarked sarcastically.

"Is she always that dramatic?" Dawn asked rhetorically, surprised at the girl's outburst.

"…No. She's not. She just doesn't want to think about holding such a huge position as Slayer," Ino told her. "She'll come around soon. She already knows you guys aren't lying about who she is. She just needs to take time to think things through. After all, you guys are asking her to give up a lot of her life to protect the world from uncertain evil."

"I wish she would hurry. We never know when some powerful evil is going to emerge," Giles muttered.

"Let me talk to her. I can promise you that she'll be ready to accept her position by tonight if you let me handle her," Ino said. "But I'll only do it under one condition. You have to teach me to be a witch."

"…Why do you want to be a witch?" Tara inquired.

"Hey, Sakura's my friend. I can't leave it up to a bunch of foreigners protect her while she's learning her job. And with all the evil that's migrating this way, I think you guys will need all the help you can get," Ino pointed out. "So, do we have a deal or not?"

"…All right. But I get to teach you," Tara murmured before Willow could say anything.

The red-head gave her lover a weird look, but Tara kept her gaze on Ino. She was still a bit irritated at Willow for doing the resurrection spell when it could have a number of bad outcomes, and this was her way of channeling her anger. It might not have been that effective, but at least she could do something to take her mind off of Willow and Rukio, who kept looking at Willow in the way Tara didn't like.

Ino nodded, showing that she agreed with Tara's decision. She hopped down from her cot and walked out the door, heading for the room she had been dying to go in all day. But she was not going in there for her own desires. Ino had told the others that she would get Sakura to accept her duty as the Slayer, but talking to the pink-haired kunoichi herself would not be enough. There was only one person who could talk some sense into that girl, and right now he was still in the hospital.

She opened the door to face the cold-hearted boy alone.

* * *

Sakura shivered as a cool wind blew and silently cursed herself for not bringing a jacket with her. She was sitting on a bench near the gates of Konoha and had been there since learning of who she really was a few hours ago. There was no going home; they would find her there. There was no going to the training grounds; they would find her there. There was no visiting anyone; they would find her there. All she could have done was wander around aimlessly until she couldn't walk anymore. Her tears had stopped some time ago, but her heart still hurt.

Her life was ruined. The Slayer, the Heroine of the World…the person who stood between the vampires and the humans in order to protect humanity. The position of a woman. That was thrown upon the shoulders of a girl. A heroine that great only lived to save the world. There would be no life for the one who held the position of Slayer. How could one live without a life?

She heard someone sit down beside her on the bench, but did not turn to see who it was, as she had a few guesses. It could be Ino, Rukio, or one of the foreigners. Ino would have been fine, but the others were unwelcome. She still needed to think things through.

"…Go away," she mumbled, still shivering.

"All right. Fine. But when Ino kills me for not talking to you, it'll be on your conscience, not mine."

Shocked by the cold male voice, Sakura turned. "…Sasuke? What…what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at home or something? Why…why would you care about me? Why would you come here to talk to me?"

"Well, normally I wouldn't, but Ino threatened to kill me if I didn't talk to you about what you are now. And why wouldn't I care about you? You're my comrade," Sasuke muttered. He noticed that she was cold and removed the jacket he had been wearing, wrapping it around her shoulders. "You shouldn't be out here. It's getting a bit cold out at nightfall now."

"…I can't go home. I can't go anywhere. They'll find me," Sakura said quietly.

"Oh, you mean those foreigners associated with the last Slayer? Yeah, they do seem a bit determined to make you accept the ruin of your life, don't they? Well, they wouldn't dare come after you right now. Ino's threatening to hurt them if they so much as come within a meter of your house or training grounds or any of those areas. You should be able to go home without worry," Sasuke told her. "But don't go home yet. I have to talk to you."

Sakura sighed. "…Ino told you everything, didn't she?"

"Yes. She told me all about the Slayer gig and how you reacted to being told that you had to protect the world from vampires or worse," Sasuke replied.

"…I know I'm the Slayer, or at least some part of me does. But…but I'm too young to be facing the supernatural every night of my life. Being a ninja is dangerous enough. But to be a Slayer on top of that? Someone like the Slayer needs to be strong, smart, skilled, confident, ready to face death to save the world…like the last Slayer. Me…I'm just a girl barely into her teenage years who doesn't win any fight she enters without the help of her squad. I'm not strong enough to be this Slayer person. I'll be dead within a week, especially if I have to go up against whatever's worse than vampires," Sakura murmured.

Sakura looked up when she felt Sasuke wrap an arm around her. He pulled her closer to him, and she felt her face grow hot as she blushed.

"Listen, Sakura. I've seen you fight these vampires more than once. The first time you almost got killed because that was your first time up against them, but every other time you were brilliant. The one you fought from the morgue…you handled him like he was nothing. And then you killed those vampires that had me dead to rites without a moment's hesitation. And you ripped that vampire who tried to kill Ino's head off with your bare hands. You did all of that all by yourself. No one helped you with any of that because you needed no help," Sasuke stated. "You're strong, smart, skilled, and ready to face death to save your comrades. You've got that part of the Slayer gig down. Now all you have to do is believe in yourself and the rest will come to you. Then you'll make the last Slayer dull in comparison."

"…You really believe that?"

"Now Sakura, you know me well enough to know I never say anything I don't mean."

"Yeah, that I do know. I also know that you can be nice one minute and all mean the next. Like this morning. What was with that attitude?"

"I guess I was just a bit grouchy and jealous of the Slayer's skill. You know we're all equal when it comes to skill now, right? Sorry if you felt put out by my bad attitude."

"No, it's fine. Your bad attitude gave me and Ino something to talk about."

"…So you two are friends again?"

"Yeah…for the time being. I'm sure you'll come in between us again in time."

Sasuke looked up at the sky even though he really didn't feel like moving and ruining the serene peace that he felt at that moment. "…It's getting dark. We both have a duty to fulfill." He looked down into Sakura's beautiful emerald eyes. "Are you ready to fulfill yours, Sakura Haruno?"

"Yes. I'm ready."

* * *

The graveyard was quiet and chilly, with fog hovering near the ground. Not a soul was about, no night creatures remained to terrorize the city. For once, Sunnydale's cemetery was at peace the way it was intended to be.

Suddenly, a hand popped out of the ground near a specific tombstone. Another hand identical to the first was soon to follow. After the hands cleared away some dirt, a blonde head made its way back to the surface. She appeared untouched by time even though she had been in the ground for a couple of months now. She climbed out of the ground and brushed off the dirt from her dress.

"And to think, I always said I'd never be caught dead in a dress," the girl said. She looked around at her surroundings and sighed. "Looks like I'm back again."

She walked off in her heels towards the house she had spent so much time in before dying the second time, completely unbothered by the chill in the air.

* * *

_A/N: Another weird chapter. What did you think? Please tell me. Thank you for reading._


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Again, not much to say. Please read on.

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Chapter 6

Sakura stood where she had stood the night before, only this time she was not alone. Her squad was joined by Team Gai, Squad 10, and the foreigners. They had split up into groups of two to cover more ground, and she had been stuck with the last Slayer's sister Dawn. The girl looked as if she couldn't handle a normal kid in a fight, let alone a vampire or a ninja or a combination of the two. Even though Dawn was at least fifteen, Sakura believed she could take Dawn on and win without much struggle, regardless of who the girl's sister had been.

She held her stake erect as she watched for any sign of the undead. Dawn too had a stake, but hers was only sharpened at one end and was slightly cleaner than Sakura's, as it had not been created the same way. Sakura trusted hers to do the job better than Dawn's and expected to have to save the girl when the vampires began to attack. But there seemed to be no undead activity this night. Even the others, whom she could hear via the wireless connection, had not seen a single vampire. The foreigners, too, were hooked up to the system, but they were as luckless as the rest of them.

Dawn kept staring over at Sakura's neck, particularly the area where she had been bitten. Normally, Sakura was only self-conscious about her overly large forehead, but the girl was now making her feel awkward about her scar. Had her sister not been bitten before and she was not used to seeing such marks on the Slayer? Or did she just have a staring problem? Sakura's opinion was shifting towards the latter thought. How could someone not be bitten against their first vampire when they weren't sure of who they really were?

"…You can stop doing that any time now," Sakura muttered, not looking at Dawn.

"Doing what?" Dawn asked, startled out of her thoughts and focusing on Sakura's face.

"You're staring at my throat like you've never seen bite marks before. It's really starting to irritate me. You, of all people, should have seen them lots of times if you went out slaying with your sister before…whatever happened to her. So I'd appreciate it if you'd stop looking at me like that," Sakura grumbled.

"…Sorry…" Dawn apologized. "…If it makes you feel any better…Buffy got bitten a few times. Her wounds healed, though. I'm sure yours will, too, over time."

"Was Buffy your sister?" Sakura inquired, as she had not met anyone with that name.

"Yeah…kinda. The Key thing kinda screws things up. But yes, Buffy was my sister and the last Slayer. She's died twice now. The first time she was killed by the Master when she was sixteen. The second time…Well, I don't really feel comfortable talking about. It happened recently and…I don't want to talk about it," Dawn murmured.

"I understand," Sakura said. "…If the Master killed her, how did she come back?"

"Xander gave her CPR. Pretty much the Master killed her by drowning her…or something like that. Angel would have done it, but he had no air and CPR wouldn't have been possible for him," Dawn remarked.

"Who's Angel?"

"He was Buffy's first boyfriend in Sunnydale. He's still alive, but now he lives in Los Angeles and fights the evil that brews there. He's a vampire." Sakura looked at her in astonishment, like she couldn't believe that Buffy had been with a vampire. Dawn quickly added, "But Angel was a good vampire! He had his soul, and he didn't drink human's blood. There was one time where he lost his soul…that was after he slept with Buffy and had a moment of complete happiness…But Angel's a very good person. My sister would not go out with a bad apple, I can assure you."

"All vampires aren't bad?"

"No! The ones that get their souls back are good. Look, when people get turned into vampires, they lose their souls and become evil. But sometimes vampires like Angel get 'cursed' and get their souls back. I think Angel's the only one who has had that happen to him so far. You don't need to worry about killing a good vamp here. All the ones in this area are pure evil. You can get with the stabbing with them."

Suddenly there was movement in the bushes behind Dawn. Sakura moved in front of the older girl, her stake at the ready, waiting for the figure to emerge. As soon as she laid eyes upon the man that step forward, she charged and prepared to stake him.

"Wait! Don't kill him!" Dawn exclaimed, grabbing Sakura's arm.

"Why not? He's a vampire! And I don't think this one is that Angel guy you were telling me about!" Sakura shot back, ripping her arm away from Dawn.

"Yes, but that's just Spike! He's with us!" Dawn shouted.

Sakura glared at the foreign-looking man wearing all black with bleach-blonde hair. He had a cigarette in his mouth and the way he was looking at her made Sakura doubt that he really was as Dawn said. But she had to have a real reason to stick a stake in his chest or she might be hindering her slaying power.

"Does he have a soul?" Sakura asked evenly.

"…Well, not exactly. But-"

Before Dawn could go on, Sakura leapt at Spike. He moved to block her punch with his arm before she could change her angle of attack. There was a cracking sound and Spike hissed, but he did not really seem too affected by her attack. She tried to kick him, but he had anticipated that and had jumped back in the nick of time. Sakura growled and decided to just get behind the vampire and catch him offguard. He was evil and needed to be killed just like the rest of his kind.

"Sakura, he's not bad! He changed for my sister! He was once crooked and vile and evil and killed two Slayers, but he's no longer that way! He's come through for us in the past! And he couldn't hurt us anyway, with that stupid chip in his head! You kill him now and you'll be killing a good information source and a reliable fighter!" Dawn exclaimed. "And I'll never forgive you for it!"

"Why would he change for Buffy?" Sakura demanded from her place behind Spike. She had gotten there without him noticing, but her cover had been blown now. The girl moved quickly and got on his back before he could turn around. He tried to grab her and pull her off, but she dodged his hands to the best of her ability.

"Look, child-Slayer, I'm not here to hurt you. I was just looking 'round for Lil' Bit. Now get off my back or I'll be forced to hurt us," Spike muttered, managing to grab her arm and wrench her off of him. "And to answer your stupid question, 's cuz I loved the girl. Weird, really…that a vamp who killed two of her predecessors would fall for one who was supposed to kill him. Ah, but fate is a cruel creature. Ha-ha! You can ask the Lil' Bit about that, and I'm bloody sure she'll agree."

Sakura really didn't want to believe the British vampire, but there was something in his eyes that showed that he wasn't lying. He had indeed loved Buffy before the incident that no one wanted to talk about happened. And he wasn't going to hurt her, although he looked a bit put out by that fact. She didn't blame him; it was only natural. She would have gladly put a stake through his heart if she was allowed.

"Sakura, what's going on over there?" Kakashi demanded, for he had heard her yelling.

"…Nothing. We just have a vampire on our side. A Brit named Spike. I doubt that's his real name, but Dawn says he won't hurt us," Sakura muttered.

"Oh, Spike? Nah, you can stake him. We don't really need him that badly. He's more of a pain than he is a help," Xander remarked from his position somewhere with Naruto.

"Glad to hear what you think of me, Harris," Spike grumbled. He, too, was wired.

"Wait. He can hear us?" Xander asked, nervous.

"Damn straight. That horrible woman Tsunade gave me some of those ear buds so that I can be of some use. So if I was you, Harris, I would be bloody careful 'bout what I say over these things. Lil' Spiky might be paying you a visit later if you're not nice to him," Spike warned.

"Oh shit," Xander mumbled under his breath. Spike smirked at that.

"Watch him," Kakashi ordered.

"What? You don't trust me, either? Some ninja you are," Spike said. "What? Do I have a sign on my back that says 'I want to destroy the world; Kill me now?"

Dawn and Sakura just looked at him for a good long while before returning to their duties as Slayer and last Slayer's sister.

* * *

The girl in the dress reached her house and found that the door was locked. She tried the window beside the door, which was not locked and easy to lift from outside, and climbed in. The house was dark and empty, not at all as she remembered it. But then again, only three people lived here and there had been a death in recent events, so it kinda made sense. She closed the window and walked into the kitchen.

"Dawn! Willow! Tara! Are you guys here?" she called, flipping on the lights. "It's me, Buffy! You guys have got some explaining to do!"

When nothing but silence met her ears, she looked around for any sign of where her sister and friends might have gone. There, on the fridge, written in Willow's hand, was a note with a map behind it. Buffy immediately picked the note up and began reading.

_For Buffy,_

_As you know, you died. Another Slayer has been chosen to replace you, as is the order of things. But what you don't know is that the Hellmouth has moved with the activation of this new Slayer. Sunnydale lacks its paranormal activity now because of this, and Giles has decided that we should go help this new Slayer. She lives in Japan in this little un-modernized village named Konoha. Her name is Sakura Haruno...and well...she's a lot younger than you were when you became a Slayer. She's only thirteen. Slayers are getting younger, Buffy. That's a problem._

_Spike wanted us to bring you back. He thinks this child-Slayer will be killed off pretty quickly and we all know you're the best of the best. Me, Tara, Anya, and Xander did a resurrection spell, and if this is being read, it obviously worked. We're gone now, all of us, but you can reach us by catching a plane to Tokyo. The map will lead you from there to Konoha. Beware, the demons are going through a mass exodus from America to Japan. Flights might be dangerous._

_I look forward to seeing you again. We all do._

_With love, your friend,_

_Willow_

"Great. Another Slayer. And the Hellmouth's decided Sunnydale didn't taste so good so it's trying to swallow up another place. Guess it's up to me to be the hero again," Buffy muttered.

She walked over to the phone and pressed a few buttons. There were two rings before someone picked up. "Yeah…it's Buffy. I'll explain everything later. I need you to meet me at the airport. The Hellmouth's apparently chosen a new manifestation sight, and from the looks of it we're going to need all the help we can get. Will you come with me to its new location?...It's in Japan. Great. Thanks."

The same thing was repeated once more before Buffy clicked up the stairs to prepare for her trip and change out of that pretty white dress.

* * *

Ino, who had unfortunately been paired with Rock Lee, wished she could be anywhere else…possibly with Sakura. She had heard Sakura's altercation with the British vampire that was apparently on their side and had giggled, but then Rock Lee had thought she was laughing at him and got all defensive. The boy had no sense of humor and thought everything was about him, especially anything that involved Sakura. Ino couldn't deal with such serious self-centered people.

The foreigners had supplied her with a silver dagger, just in case she was greeted with a werewolf. Werewolves were obviously considered worse than vampires. Her dagger could be used to kill vampires, but only if she cut off their head. Rock Lee had reluctantly taken a wooden stake, as he claimed he could defeat these monsters with his bare hands. Ino seriously doubted it. Only Sakura could perform such a feat with her super-inhuman strength. The only person who might have a chance of doing the same would be Tsunade.

The witch that was supposed to train Ino in the ways of magic would be starting her lessons tomorrow afternoon. The blonde couldn't wait. She had always wanted to be a witch, as that had been her Halloween costume for the past five years. Seeing Tara and Willow made it apparent that the costumes were inaccurate, but oh well. It would still be cool. But she vowed to only use her magic for good and good alone. Love spells would be forbidden, not because Tara told her not to do them, but because it would be wrong.

"Shut up, Rock Lee! I really don't want to hear what you think about Gai!" Ino hissed when Rock Lee's ranting became enough.

"But…But Gai-sensei is so awesome!" Rock Lee claimed.

"I don't care! Focus on our mission, for Kami's sake! Or I'll hurt you so bad that your precious Gai-sensei won't be able to recognize you! Even your bushy brows and big round eyes won't be enough!" Ino threatened, eyes white with fury.

Rock Lee gulped, but he finally fell silent. Ino sighed. The boy who sported the same green jumpsuit with orange leg warmers as his sensei was a great fighter and all, but he was just too obsessed with Gai. The way he talked about him made her question whether he was hiding something about his feelings. But she never really thought about it until she had been stuck with him for a whole night.

There was movement behind the bushes to the left of Rock Lee. Both ninja quickly focused their attention in that direction, still listening for any sign of an ambush or the like. Something ran out of the bushes and straight for Ino, who didn't have time to react before Rock Lee had jumped into action. He kicked the creature in the gut, knocking it back into the trees, but it didn't stay down for long. It dropped on all four and ran, snarling, towards the boy. Rock Lee did a Leaf Whirlwind to the furry giant, making it spin and knock into a few trees. But even that wasn't enough to keep the monster from attacking. Rock Lee and the beast entered a fierce battle while Ino watched from the sidelines, as it was happening too quickly for her to do anything.

Suddenly, the creature pinned Rock Lee underneath of it, preventing movement by resting its huge paws on the boy's arms and legs. The claws of its huge paws dug into his skin a little, and little lines of blood began to spill from his body. The russet beast looked ready to eat Rock Lee. Ino knew she needed to act fast. Her hands immediately did the hand signs necessary for her most famous jutsu.

_Mind Transfer Jutsu!_

Her body went limp and fell to the ground while her spirit went flying into the mind of the beast. She was nearly overpowered by the ferocity of the beast's mind, its desire to kill and devour and eliminate, but she managed to remain in control. Ino sensed a human mind behind the bloodlust of the creature, but knew she had to help Rock Lee, regardless. She took over the body and made the creature remove itself from her companion.

Rock Lee struggled to stand due to his injuries. He glanced over at the unconscious body of Ino, then looked back at the beast that Ino was possessing. He didn't know what she had done, but he was sure that the beast had hurt her. Out of fury, he charged at Ino, forcing her to have to bat him down with a paw. She tried to tell him who she was, but all that emerged from the mouth was growls. Irritated, she reverted to scratching her name into the dirt. It was hard with Rock Lee trying to attack her every minute and the fact that paws were much huger than hands, but she finally scratched out a sloppy I, N, and O. She caught Rock Lee under her paw and pushed him towards her sloppy writing.

"…Ino? Yeah, you hurt her," Rock Lee muttered, glaring at the beast.

She shook her head and scratched out more letters for his small brain's benefit.

"…You are her? How can that be?" Rock Lee asked, confused.

"It's a jutsu she does…the Mind Transfer Jutsu," Shikamaru informed him over the wireless. "She can take over someone's mind by transferring herself into their head. That's why her body isn't moving. And be careful. Whatever you do to the body she's possessing will also happen to her real body. So unless you want to kill her, stop attacking the werewolf."

"Oh. Sorry, Ino," Rock Lee apologized as she removed the paw from him. "You did not get hurt, did you?"

Ino shook her head. Rock Lee let out a sigh of relief. "You know, you can return to your body now. I am safe, and there is no need to possess the werewolf anymore. I am sure it will just lose consciousness once you release it." She shook her head again. "Why not?"

"She can't return to her body for a few minutes after she does the jutsu," Shikamaru said.

"Oh. Well, that is not good. What if more werewolves come and attack? Either one of her bodies could get seriously hurt, or I might not be able to fight them. What then?" Rock Lee inquired.

"Ino had a silver dagger on her. Use it if more come. Protect Ino with your life until me and some of the others show up. Just make sure that neither Ino gets injured, or we might have to plan a funeral for her," Shikamaru told him.

Rock Lee moved to the unconscious body of Ino. Her silver dagger was still clasped in her hand, but the boy had little difficulty removing it. He then lifted her off the ground and held her in his arms despite the wolf's growls of protest. He had been told to protect her with his life. There was no other way to do that than to keep her close. Ino would just have to deal with it until she could return to her real body.

More movement was heard around the bushes. Rock Lee got into the best defensive position he could while holding Ino, the silver dagger held erectly in one of his hands as he waited for the enemy to show itself. Three other werewolves, bigger than the other one Rock Lee had just fought, charged from the bushes and straight for the wolf Ino was controlling. She skillfully dodged these black wolves and jumped into the tree right above her, amazingly not breaking through the branches. Her pursuers snapped at her from below and one nearly nabbed one of her front paws in its mouth, but she dodged in the nick of time. She climbed higher into the tree, knowing fairly well that the branches she was heading for were weaker.

Rock Lee knew he had to do something to protect the wolf Ino while she was in danger from those black werewolves. He ran towards them with real Ino still in his arms, only moving her into just one of them. The dagger glistened in the light of the full moon as he held it in his right hand, running towards the smallest big werewolf of the group. The silver ripped through its fur and flesh, and somehow it severely damaged it. The wolf started whining and fell to the ground, writhing in pain. Rock Lee did not know if it was going to die, but had no time to ponder as the other wolves were aware of him and one of them was coming for him. He prepared for its pounce by holding the dagger cleverly. It ripped through that wolf, too, only it pierced closer to its heart this time.

Wolf Ino was in real danger now. The last big black werewolf was following her up the tree, and the branches were starting to be unstable under her weight. If she stopped, the wolf would get her. If she kept going, the branch could break and she could fall to her death. Either way was not going to end well. She whimpered, but had to move out of the way as the last enemy was right on her tail.

Rock Lee heard her whimper and hurried to reach wolf Ino. She was pretty high up the tree with the last werewolf right behind her. Anything that happened up there could only end in pain for the blonde. He had to hurt the last wolf before Ino went to the really weak branches. So he quickly ran up the tree as to reach Ino in time.

Wolf Ino could go no higher. The branch on which she stood was already beginning to bend under her weight, and no doubt the next branch wouldn't even be able to hold a paw. The other wolf seemed to realize that she couldn't get away, for now it was going slower with a wolfish grin on its face. Ino would have despaired, but she saw Rock Lee coming and also realized that it was almost time for her to go back in her body. Just one more minute…

Now if she could just survive that long.

Rock Lee saw the dark wolf getting ready to lunge and sped up. Wolf Ino flinched just seconds before the boy made his way between the dark wolf and the possessed wolf. The beast's teeth sank into flesh, and blood went flying.

Ino undid her jutsu and found herself in her own body sitting on the branch that she couldn't have reached in the werewolf's body. That wolf's body was lying limp on the branch directly below her. The other wolf's body was heading for the hard ground below with a silver dagger embedded in its chest. She watched as she saw the body shift into the silhouette of a person, and couldn't believe that the werewolf had been a person. She looked around for Rock Lee…and found him breathless and barely grasping the side of the branch she was sitting on…and with a huge gash on his shoulder.

"Are you all right?" Ino asked, too shocked to shout.

"…Yeah…I will be fine…" Rock Lee lied, feeling his strength lessening with every passing second. "Are you…okay?"

"How can you be asking me that when you were just bitten by a werewolf? We need to get you to a hospital ASAP," Ino remarked.

"…I…do not think that I can make it…I am sorry…Tell Gai-sensei…that I tried my best to be the best ninja I could be…and that I am sorry I failed him," Rock Lee murmured as his vision grew hazy and he felt light-headed. His grip slipped on the branch and he fell towards the earth, eyes closing along the way.

"LEE!" Ino exclaimed, jumping after him.

She managed to catch up to him in the air and grabbed the boy, not caring about all the blood she was getting all over herself. All that mattered was saving Rock Lee's life before he could die from the fall. Not even her own life mattered right now. She turned the both of them so that if anyone were to hit the ground, it would be her, and her body would cushion Rock Lee's drop.

What she didn't expect was to be caught herself.

Shikamaru and his partner, Giles, had finally shown up. Her squad comrade had moved under her just in the nick of time and caught Ino in his arms, although the weight of two ninja caused him to fall on his backside. The impact wasn't as bad as hitting solid ground like that werewolf had, but it still hurt. Ino struggled to stand again, but she refused to put Rock Lee down. She caught sight of a dead man to her right that was lacking clothing and wondered whether he had been the last werewolf, the one that had bitten Rock Lee.

"What took you guys so long?" Ino demanded, turning around to glare at the men.

"What do you mean? You guys were only fighting for five minutes. We got here pretty quick for people on the other side of Konoha," Shikamaru stated.

_Only five minutes? But it seemed to be so much longer...I guess everything was happening so fast...Time just seemed to stand still,_ Ino thought, looking down at the unconscious boy in her arms. _...Especially when Lee took that dive...He risked his life to save mine...Why? I wasn't even nice to him. I was totally mean. If he had been anyone else, he would have left me to die. And yet..._

"What happened to the boy in your arms?" Giles asked.

"…He was bitten trying to protect me from the werewolves. He killed the one that bit him, if that's any consolation," Ino said.

"He's been bitten? That is not good at all. Not good, not good," Giles murmured.

"Why? What does this mean?" Shikamaru inquired.

"Well, it means that…the boy has the curse now, too. From now on, on nights when the moon is full…he will become a werewolf," Giles said.

* * *

_A/N: Well, what now? This story surprises even me. What do you think? Please tell me. Thank you for reading._


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: Thanks for the reviews. Here's another chapter. Please read on.

* * *

_

Chapter 7

Buffy, now dressed in a comfortable pair of jeans and a white T-shirt under a leather jacket with her kickass boots, waited outside the airport for the people she had called to show up. She was impatient but understood that both people were coming from a distance and would not be there as quickly as she was. To keep occupied she killed any demon she caught trying to get in the airport. The fewer demons she had to deal with when she got to Konoha the better.

"Death sure hasn't taken a toll on your aggression," a familiar masculine voice remarked as she killed another vampire with Mr. Pointy, her favorite stake. She turned around to face the man centuries older than her. "You look pretty good for a corpse."

"Same can be said for you," Buffy pointed out. "Angel. Tell me, is Oz with you?"

"He can't make it until morning. It's a full moon tonight," Angel replied.

"Right. Well, let's go sedate him and bring him on the airplane with us. We can't wait until morning because we don't know what's going on with the new Slayer, so we need to get over there to see what's what," Buffy said.

"I don't even know what's going on with you. Usually, people who are dead tend to stay dead unless a vampire's involved. And you said you'd explain everything later. It's later. Explain away."

"Where's Oz right now?"

"He made it to Sunnydale before dark. Buffy-"

"Great. That means he's probably roaming around somewhere, looking for someone to kill because of that werewolf instinct. Let's go hunt him down before we miss our flight."

"Buffy, you're avoiding telling me what happened to you."

"…Can't it wait? We're kinda running short on time right now. The next flight for Tokyo takes off in an hour. There's always time for talk, but right now there isn't so let's go."

Buffy tried to walk away, but Angel grabbed her by the arm and forced her to turn around and face him. She didn't try to fight him as he was needed overseas to aid her and injuries wouldn't help. But she really didn't want to talk about it. She knew she had to if she wanted to get anywhere, but she didn't want to, no matter what. That would be admitting that this wasn't just a strange dream, that it was all real and she had died and had been brought back because the world needed her again.

"…It wasn't a vampire. My friends brought me back. They did a resurrection spell because they thought the new Slayer was too young to be any good. Now I'm back and I have to save the world again. End of story," Buffy muttered.

"Resurrection spells are tricky stuff. It's amazing you came back as your normal self. That usually never happens. They must have been pretty sure that this new Slayer wasn't going to be any good if they performed one. Then again, it might be more than that. Maybe they just couldn't live without you in their lives anymore and decided to bring you back. You are a pretty remarkable woman. I've missed you myself," Angel stated.

"Yeah. That's me. Remarkable," Buffy murmured. "Now let's go hunt down Oz and get on the plane."

"We're going to need to get something to knock him out with."

"No problem. I came prepared." Buffy pulled out a gun loaded with tranquilizer darts. "These ought to do the trick. And if he wakes up while we're on the plane during the night, you get to deal with him. In the morning he's going to need some clothes. We might have to steal some from someone's luggage."

"We're not going to sit on the plane, are we?"

"No. That's for normal people. We're going in the cargo hold where we won't be seen and won't have to deal with demons. Now let's go."

* * *

"…He'll turn into a werewolf?" Ino asked, her voice shrill from her shock.

Giles nodded. "I'm afraid so."

"Isn't there a cure for it?" she inquired.

"No. The werewolf curse cannot be cured, as it is not a disease. It won't come into effect tonight since it has just been introduced into his system. But tomorrow he will need to be restrained so that he will not hurt anyone," Giles replied.

"You mean _if_ he survives tonight. He's bleeding out, and if we don't get him to a hospital, he might die," Shikamaru remarked.

"You're right! So what are we standing around here for? We've got to save Lee!" Ino exclaimed, running past Shikamaru and Giles and towards the main part of Konoha.

"Ino, wait!"

"There's no time! Take care of that werewolf on the ground and the one in the tree! I have to get Lee to the hospital before he bleeds out! Life with a curse is far better than no life, Shika! Do what needs to be done and meet me at the hospital later! And let the others know that I'm coming through and to be on the lookout for two injured werewolves, okay?" Ino shouted as she continued to run without looking back.

It took her less than a minute to get out of the forest, even though it felt like much longer. Every second felt like an hour, every minute felt like an eternity, every moment felt like a loss of life on Rock Lee's part. Ino kept glancing down at his bruised face and his closed eyes as she ran, silently praying that he'd be all right. He had to pull through…he just had to, or Ino would never be the same. Rock Lee was her comrade…and something about him made her heart feel weird, almost the same feeling she got when she thought of Sasuke. She really didn't understand it, but she'd never figure it out if Rock Lee died.

She burst through the doors of the hospital, screaming at the top of her lungs for help. As soon as she did so, Tsunade appeared out of nowhere like she had been waiting for Ino to show up. She took Rock Lee off her hands and yelled for a bunch of medical stuff. Tsunade ordered Ino to stay in the hospital waiting room as she put the boy down on a gurney delivered to her by another medic nin. They wheeled him away into a room Ino wasn't allowed to enter, leaving the blonde to stand alone with blood-stained clothes.

Ino felt numb yet cold at the same time. She figured the cold feeling was coming from her blood-soaked clothes and asked the nurse at the front desk if she could use a phone. She called her father and asked him to bring a fresh set of clothes without explaining the situation to him. When he started questioning her about being in the hospital, she hung up and walked into the waiting room. She didn't feel like being interrogated right now, especially not by her father after what had happened.

The numb feeling didn't leave her. Try as she might, she couldn't feel anything about anything. Her whole mind was focused on the boy with the huge gash in his shoulder that he had gotten from a werewolf for protecting her from being killed. She still didn't understand why he had done it after how mean she had been to him. All that she understood was that she didn't want him to die. How would she explain it to his sensei, the man he practically worshipped…Gai Maito?

"…_**I…do not think that I can make it…I am sorry…Tell Gai-sensei…that I tried my best to be the best ninja I could be…and that I am sorry I failed him."**_

_That's what he said...Even when he thought he was going to die...he wanted to please that creepy Gai,_ Ino thought, tears welling up in her eyes. _Lee is so strange...but...but...He can't die! He just can't! It's not fair! Hasn't he suffered enough? Gai's nearly pushed him to his breaking point...and then in the Chuunin exams he was nearly...torn apart...and now this...Lee can't die! Tsunade has to save him! She just has to!_

Now she was feeling something…sadness mixed with fear of the unknown. Ino broke down in tears, burying her face in her hands so she wouldn't attract attention for her loud sobs. Life was so unfair to some people. Not so much to her, but to Rock Lee. She just wanted to make all the bad go away and for him to go on leading a happy life.

"…Ino?"

The blonde looked up to see Shikamaru standing in front of her. He was holding some of her clothes in his arms, which was weird considering she had asked her father to bring them. But her heart was too heavy for her to say anything at that moment.

"Your father caught me on my way here and gave me these. He said you called him but hung up when he asked why you were at the hospital. He's worried that you might be hurt and didn't want to see you injured since you're all he has," Shikamaru explained as if he had guessed what she was thinking. He handed her clothes over to her, which she held carefully as to not get blood on them, too. He continued speaking. "Giles and the others are taking care of the werewolves. The one Lee killed is being taken by the ANBU for identification, and the one that you were possessing is being restrained in the prison with extremely strong chains so it can't escape. They're also looking out for the other two werewolves. Kakashi sent his dogs after their blood trail."

Ino heard his words but was still too heavy-hearted to say anything. He stopped talking and looked at her face, even though it was obvious when he came in that she was crying.

"Are you all right, Ino?" he asked.

"…Do I look all right to you? Someone's dying because of me…someone's dying because I couldn't save myself…someone's dying because I was too blind to see…that I could have died fighting a werewolf," Ino murmured, not meaning to rhyme a bit. "…Someone's dying because I was too slow…someone's dying because my intellect was too small…someone's dying because I had no place to go…that someone's dying and he took a great fall. That someone's lying on a bed with a wound on him, that someone's bleeding and still…That someone's dying because of _them_, that someone's bleeding and still."

"…Okay…I'm sorry I asked. But you didn't need to sing, you know," Shikamaru muttered. "…You should go home and get some rest."

"…I can't leave the hospital. Tsunade told me to stay here," Ino mumbled.

"Well, you should at least call your father and let him know you're not hurt. He seems really worried about you," Shikamaru stated.

"No. I don't want to talk to him. If he wants to know how I feel, he can come see me himself. Now go back to your mission and leave me the hell alone so that I can be miserable without you pestering me," Ino grumbled, standing up and walking past her comrade towards the bathroom. "And if my father really wants to know without coming to see his only family, you can tell him and save him the damn trip."

She slammed the door before Shikamaru could reply and ran into one of the stalls to change her clothes. The whole time she couldn't stop thinking about her bad rude behavior, her life with the lack of a father, and the horrible things that had happened to poor little Rock Lee.

_Someone's dying because of me...someone's dying because I couldn't save myself...someone's dying because I was too blind to see...that I could have died fighting a werewolf...Someone's dying because I was too slow...someone's dying because my intellect was too small...someone's dying because I had no place to go...that someone's dying and he took a great fall. That someone's lying on a bed with a wound on him, that someone's bleeding and still...That someone's dying because of them, that someone's bleeding and still.

* * *

_

The next morning, a dark-haired young man groaned as he sat up inside the cargo hold of a plane. His hair was styled kind of weird, like kind of spiked but only a little. He had an enormous headache that came with his transformations, and as he became aware of himself he realized he was naked. There was no suppressing the groan then, especially since he couldn't exactly change that from where he was…in the cargo hold of a plane.

"Morning, Oz. Sleep well?" a blonde girl asked, sitting across from him on the floor and focusing her attention only on his face. A gun was in her hands, but he knew her well enough to know that only tranquilizer darts were loaded into it.

"…No…" Oz grumbled, a little confused. "…You knocked me out last night and dragged me onto this plane, didn't you?"

"Well, that was the only way to get you to cooperate when you were in wolf form. Angel and I tried to be rational with you, but then you almost bit his head off, so we were forced to take the action of shooting you up with tranquilizers. So if you feel a little light-headed, you know why that is now," the blonde stated.

"He's here, too?" Oz glanced over to his right and saw the said vampire sitting there, holding out some clothes for Oz.

"Yeah, I'm here. I'm not exactly sure why I'm here, but Buffy wouldn't tell me anything until you woke up," Angel muttered.

"Nope. Not a thing. And I'll keep my lips sealed until Oz is completely and utterly not showing off his incredibly scrawny body," Buffy remarked as Angel threw the clothes at Oz's face. "So you'd better put those clothes on if you want to know why the formerly dead Slayer is now forcing you guys out of the United States and into Japan…and in Oz's case, why the formerly dead Slayer is alive again."

"I just know Willow had a hand in it," Oz said, taking the clothes that were not his and putting them on anyway because he needed to be covered and the metal cargo hold wasn't exactly warm or comfortable.

"Yup. She and my friends decided they couldn't live without me anyone and did a little spell to make me pop out of the ground to save the world and be with them again. And they thought that the new Slayer would suck at her job," Buffy told him.

"And who is this new Slayer? You keep bringing her up, but we have no idea who you're talking about," Angel pointed out.

"Some girl in Japan named Sakura Haruno. She's only thirteen, but the mystical forces of the universe decided to ruin her life early. And apparently the Hellmouth's moved to her location in a little un-modernized village by the name of-I know I'm going to butcher the name-Konoha (she pronounced it "Con-no-ha") or something like that. It's twenty miles from Tokyo, so I guess we're going to have to run there. And to top everything off, all the demons in the world are coming to Konoha (Con-no-ha) in a mass exodus. So we're probably going to die there," Buffy stated.

"It's like high school all over again, only there's no mayor trying to turn into a demon. But still the Hellmouth principle is coming back to bite us in the ass," Oz muttered.

"So now there are three Slayers: you, this Sakura girl, and Faith. Are you going to ask her to come with us so we have a better chance of dealing with this, or are you just going to let her stay in America when all the demons are coming to Japan?" Angel inquired.

Buffy pretended to think about it for a moment. "Nope. Not gonna tell her a thing. If Faith is to come to Konoha (Con-no-ha), it'll be her own doing and her own finding out. Her Slayer senses should be tingling right now, anyway. Mine are giving me goose bumps with the way they're going."

"How far away from Tokyo are we right now?" Oz wanted to know.

"We should be touching down any moment now. It's still dark out, and if we hurry, we might be able to reach Konoha (Con-no-ha) before the sun presents trouble for Angel. I have a map that Willow left that will lead us right to this village. But we can't let this plane land and let off all these demons. We're going to have to blow the thing up before they can get off."

"And how are we going to do that?"

Buffy pulled something out of her jacket pocket and threw it at the top of the cargo hold, where it amazingly stayed. Even from where he was sitting, Oz could see the red digital numbers that were starting to count down from fifteen minutes. He didn't feel good about that little thing that was commencing a countdown.

"What about the other humans onboard? They'll die in the explosion," Oz said.

"We'll get them off before it's too late. I'm not so heartless as to let them die just because they decided to take a flight on the USS Hell Plane," Buffy told him as they felt the plane touch down. "But we're going to have to move fast to get the humans off and leave the demons on. Are you guys ready?"

When they gave her the answer she was waiting for and the plane stopped moving, Buffy went into action, doing what she did best: saving the innocent.

* * *

Tsunade found Ino sitting in the corner of the waiting room, knees tucked under her chin as the blonde slept. She didn't look the least bit peaceful; last night had been rough for her. Tsunade felt bad for her and almost felt bad about disturbing her slumber. But she had more important things to deal with than minding a little girl's feelings. The Hokage shook Ino roughly, startling her out of her dreams.

"Rock Lee's okay now. The wound he received last night from the werewolf has been completely healed, and his life is no longer in danger," Tsunade informed her.

Ino let out a sigh of relief, her heart losing some of its weight from hearing this. At least he was still alive. That was the important thing.

"Unfortunately, he is now cursed with the werewolf sickness. Normally, we would put down such people for the protection of our village and its people, but with Rock Lee we cannot do that. Rukio claims that the Council has a way of suppressing the curse so that the human can control themselves in the wolf form. We shall see if it works tonight," Tsunade told her.

"…Can I see him?" Ino asked.

"Of course. Follow me."

Ino was led into the room she had stayed in just the other day, only this time she wasn't the patient. Rock Lee was in the middle of pulling his green jumpsuit on when they entered, but luckily his lower half was covered. He turned to look at whoever was disturbing him, probably hoping for Gai to be checking up on him. When he saw Ino, his face did not lose its happiness. She found that odd, but did not say anything. She was too busy noticing his finely toned abs although they weren't as prominent as Sasuke's.

Tsunade left them alone, saying something about having to deal with the wolf they caught last night. Ino remained near the door, feeling a little awkward. Rock Lee quickly pulled on the rest of his jumpsuit in an attempt to make things less awkward. No one spoke for the longest time. Then Ino found her voice again.

"…You got hurt protecting me last night…You could have died," she murmured, looking at the ground as she shuffled her feet nervously.

"I know. I did as I was told. I was told to protect you with my life, and I did that because your death was not an option. I do not regret getting bitten. It was the only way to save you from getting hurt. But even if I was not told to protect you…I still would have done it without a moment's hesitation," Rock Lee stated.

"Why? Now you're cursed and it's all my fault for being too slow and thinking I could get away from those werewolves by climbing up a tree. You're going to turn into a werewolf every night there's a full moon because of me. Don't you see? You shouldn't have saved me. You should have let me fall into sleep for eternity…and then cursed you wouldn't be," Ino said, rhyming again without meaning to. It was unnatural and just becoming a habit.

"I would do it, Ino, because…because…well, you are my comrade and valuable to the village. And you are also Sakura's friend. Your death would have brought her much pain. I do not want her to be in pain. But I did not want you to die, either. You are a very remarkable youthful girl. Your death would be a loss to the world," Rock Lee told her. "And why did you just sing that?"

"I have no clue. That's the second time within twenty-four hours that I've done that. I guess I'm losing my mind or something," Ino muttered. "I'm glad to see that you're all right…other than the werewolf curse thing. And thank you…for risking your life to save mine. I'm sure that Gai is very proud of you right now…like I am."

Rock Lee beamed. "Do you really think so?"

Ino nodded. Rock Lee grinned from ear to ear and in his excitement, he actually hugged the blonde girl. At first Ino just went stiff, but then she couldn't help but return his embrace. He was a nice…if somewhat creepy…boy who had been through a lot, and it wasn't like he was a bad person. His face might not be as appealing as Sasuke's, but his attitude was so much better. So what if she hugged him? There wasn't a reason not to.

_Someone's dying because of me...someone's dying because I couldn't save myself...someone's dying because I was too blind to see...that I could have died fighting a werewolf...Someone's dying because I was too slow...someone's dying because my intellect was too small...someone's dying because I had no place to go...that someone's dying and he took a great fall. That someone's lying on a bed with a wound on him, that someone's bleeding and still...That someone's dying because of them, that someone's bleeding and still._

_Now you're cursed and it's all my fault for being too slow and thinking I could get away from those werewolves by climbing up a tree. You're going to turn into a werewolf every night there's a full moon because of me. Don't you see? You shouldn't have saved me. You should have let me fall into sleep for eternity…and then cursed you wouldn't be._

_You're going to turn into a werewolf...because of me.

* * *

_

_A/N: The end of another chapter. What did you think? As for the rhyming/singing thing, I have no idea why I made her do it. I guess I was in the mood for some rhyming words. Yeah, I think I'll make this an Ino/Lee story...Haven't seen any of those around. Whatever you think about anything I've said, please tell me. Thank you for reading._


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: I am a girl of few words, so why don't we all just read on?

* * *

_

Chapter 8

Sakura was walking home after a full night of vampire slaying and werewolf hunting. The werewolves that had fought with Ino and Rock Lee had not been seen by anyone; most likely they had run away and were hiding so that they would not be killed like their friend, whom had been killed by Rock Lee before he had been bitten. But their immortal enemies had decided that they wanted to come out and play with the humans. Everyone had sent them back to their graves before dawn.

The others had gone home already because after being up all night, they were all extremely tired. Sakura didn't feel too sleepy, but a few hours' rest wouldn't hurt. That was what she was planning on getting as soon as she reached her house if nothing bad happened along the way or if Tsunade did not summon her.

Which she should have known the Hokage would do.

Her Watcher, the ninja Councilman by the name of Rukio, appeared as if from out of nowhere at her side. She stopped and glared at him, wondering why he was there to bug her when she should be getting home to sleep. His reasons had better be good, or she would have to hurt him.

"Sakura, Lady Tsunade requires your presence in the prison. The werewolf has taken her human form and the Hokage wants to know what you think we should do with her," Rukio said.

"…Can't she figure that out on her own? She is the freaking Hokage, for Kami's sake. If she can't figure out what to do with a werewolf on her own, then she isn't a very good Hokage," Sakura grumbled.

"Disrespecting her name will get you nowhere. I was told to bring you to her by any means necessary. And trust me, even the Slayer can't get away from me," Rukio stated.

"…Whatever. Take me to the werewolf," Sakura muttered, pissed because now she was going to have to train tired. _Tsunade is going to pay for this later. You don't mess with the Slayer and get away with it unharmed in some way, shape, or form. You especially don't mess with her sleep time if you expect her to save the world,_ she thought.

Rukio led her to the prison, looking over his shoulder every now and then to make sure she was still there and not making a run for it. Tsunade stood in front of a particular cell, hands on her hips and a serious scowl on her face. In the cell, the girl who had been a werewolf just last night had been unchained long enough to get some clothes on. She wasn't even granted privacy within the cell, as a female ANBU member was in there with her, waiting so that she could restrain the girl again.

The girl was a few years older than Sakura; it showed with her height and physical development. Her hair boasted of dark brown color and extreme length, reaching to the small of her back. Her eyes were crystal blue, framed beautifully with dark eyelashes, and her skin was like an Egyptian's. She was in the process of putting on a simple pair of blue jeans and a white sleeveless shirt with undergarments and the normal shoes of the area. When the girl brushed back her hair while sliding her shirt on, Sakura noticed that she had a huge black ankh tattooed on her back. Was the girl a foreigner like the people who had been associated with the last Slayer?

The ANBU female moved to put the chains back onto the girl when she finished dressing, but Tsunade stopped her. The Hokage simply said the girl was no threat while the sun was up and that she deserved a little freedom. Then the old woman that looked young dismissed the ANBU member, who disappeared in the blink of an eye. Rukio wanted to stay, but Sakura bonked him on the head and told him this was a girl thing and to get the hell out of there. Reluctantly, the Watcher walked out of the prison.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" Tsunade asked.

The girl took her time in answering. "…My name…is Bastet Mahado. My mother was Egyptian and my father was an American. I took my mother's last name before she died. The reason I am here…is because I was a tourist coming to see the beauty of Konoha… Now I am stuck here…because those damned werewolves bit me…and I am cursed."

"Those werewolves that were after Ino and Rock Lee last night? They're the people that cursed you?" Sakura inquired.

Bastet nodded once. "They're a pack, those three. Their leader took an interest in me and decided he wanted me to be like him…a mindless monster that wants to kill innocent humans a few days a month. So he and his partners cornered me and he bit me, making me what your blonde friend possessed last night. If you see her, tell her that I did not mean to attack her and that weird boy. I was a mindless killer who wanted to eat flesh and get away from the pack."

"Why aren't you with the werewolves that turned you?" Tsunade wanted to know.

"Because they don't care who they kill when they're in the form of the beast. They actually enjoy the lives they take. I didn't want to live like that. Every time I hurt someone, I feel their pain…even in the monster form. Ever since I made that decision… they haven't given me a moment's peace. I'm always on the move, trying to avoid them and stay away from civilization so I don't kill anyone," Bastet explained.

"So that's why they were after Ino. They thought she was Bastet because of that Mind Transfer Jutsu. And here I thought they just wanted the bigger piece of meat because werewolves were cannibalistic or something," Sakura muttered.

"No. They are just a bunch of perverts," Bastet grumbled.

"…Normally, we would have to kill someone like you…someone with the curse of the werewolf that poses a threat to our village. But the circumstances have changed, for you see…one of our own was bitten by that gang of werewolves while protecting your body and our ninja. So killing you would mean we would have to kill him, too. We will allow you to keep your life on one condition. You must stay in Konoha and aid us in the battle against all things unholy," Tsunade said.

"…I suppose I have no choice. I will help you, Lady Tsunade," Bastet murmured.

"Good," Tsunade muttered as she unlocked the cell door. Bastet walked out of the tiny enclosure without any emotion crossing her face. Tsunade quietly added for the benefit of the girl's knowledge, "There is a rumor about a way of controlling the curse. A friend in the Council, an organization that had existed to kill all things evil, has told me this. He is having this possibility brought over from Europe soon. If you're interested, it will be delivered to you when it arrives."

"Thank you, Lady Tsunade. I would like that very much."

"You're welcome. Now if you ladies would excuse me, I have to catch some sleep before my date with Gi- I mean, before returning to my Hokage duties. Sakura, show her to the place where the foreigners are staying."

* * *

"Excuse me. Can you tell me where the Haruno residence is?" Buffy asked a random man on the street while Angel hid in the shadows of trees to avoid being burned by the sun. The man looked at her like she was crazy and quickly walked away in the other direction in fear of what she might do to him. "Hey! A simple no would have sufficed!"

"Your people skills are as dull as always," Angel remarked.

"Yeah, I'd like to see you do any better. Oh wait. You can't, cuz that would involve you coming out into the sun and getting fried. That would really get someone to talk to you, what with you being on fire and all," Buffy countered.

They had already blown up their plane after getting all the humans off and were in Konoha, looking for the new Slayer. Buffy was having no luck locating a Sakura Haruno, but knew that people were sometimes very hard to find. She and Oz were asking people if they knew who she was or where she lived, but so far all they had gotten were no's or run away people. Who could blame them? Buffy, Oz, and Angel did stick out a lot. It was obvious that they were foreigners. Who would want to talk to foreigners?

Oz was in the process of talking to a teen who had taken interest in them because of their questions. It was a boy with dark eyes and dark blue-borderline black hair that looked like a duck's butt to Buffy. He was really pale and kind of short compared to all the guys that Buffy knew, but that was probably due to his age. He was wearing a blue T-shirt, white shorts, and dark blue sandals, along with a weird blue headband inscribed with an alien symbol in the center of the piece of metal. A lot of people around this area seemed to have the same thing, only some of them wore it in other places than their forehead.

"Yeah, I know where Sakura lives. I even know her personally," the boy muttered, his voice cold. "Why do you want to know this information? You're not even from Japan. You and your friends are a bunch of Americans that somehow made their way into our country. Why are you even here?"

"That's a lot of questions coming from someone who hasn't told us who he is," Buffy stated as she joined Oz in questioning this kid. "I'm Buffy, and I'd like to know the name of the boy I might have to pulverize if he doesn't give us the information we want."

The boy smirked, amused by her threat. "I'm not going to tell you a thing."

Buffy glared and looked ready to pounce on the boy, but she had mistakenly stood too close to the shadows. Angel reached out and grabbed her, pulling her in before she could hurt anyone. The sun singed his arms a little, but it didn't hurt as much as Buffy struggling to make him let go did. The boy took notice of the smoke that appeared from Angel's arms and said nothing.

"Maybe we should start over. I'm Oz, that's Buffy and Angel. We're looking for Sakura and some of our foreign friends that arrived here earlier this week. If you can help us, we would be grateful," Oz said.

"…I'm Sasuke. And your friend Angel is a vampire with a very girly name," the boy grumbled. "Seriously. What kind of name is Angel for a male vampire? He must be a real weakling to have earned a name like that. Even Spike is a much more masculine name than Angel."

"Hey! Leave his name out of this! At least he doesn't look like he has a duck's ass on his head and his name doesn't sound like it's a gay sauce!" Buffy shouted.

"You've met Spike?" Angel inquired calmly despite receiving below the belt strikes from Buffy as she fought harder to escape his inhumanly strong grip.

"Yeah…Bleach-blonde British vampire, wears a black duster, smokes, says bloody hell a lot…We've met. And I'm guessing that you guys are friends with him and the group of people who came here to train Sakura to be the next Slayer. Aren't there enough of you here already? If you Americans keep coming to Konoha, soon they will be more of you than Japanese people living here," Sasuke remarked.

"Oh…it's Konoha, not Konoha (Con-no-ha)," Buffy murmured, spacing out for a moment before returning to her assault on Angel.

"Yeah, I guess you could say we're friends of those people. And Buffy was the last Slayer, so she would be the best person for Sakura to train with. So would you lead us to her and the other foreigners so that we can do our job?" Oz asked.

Sasuke's face darkened. "The last Slayer died in an unfortunate accident. Once you die, you stay dead unless you were brought back by vampires or other unholy means. Sakura became the Slayer because the last one is dead. So you must be lying about one of two things. You're really not friends of the foreigners and want to do Sakura harm because you're against the Slayer…or you just thought that saying the last Slayer was still alive would impress me and she really is still six feet under." Sasuke pulled out a kunai knife and held it threatening at Oz's throat. "I don't trust you or the vampire or the crazy blonde, and I will not allow you to find Sakura so that you may hurt her. So tell me the truth right now before lies force me to kill you."

"Can I attack him now?" Buffy wanted to know, looking up at Angel.

Angel released her, and Buffy charged at Sasuke even though he still held a knife at Oz's throat. Sasuke knocked Oz out of the way and met her fists of fury with a swift movement of his arm. She ninja-kicked him in the gut, expecting him to fall over, but instead he just gritted his teeth against the pain and grabbed her. She karate-chopped his neck, but apparently her full Slayer strength hadn't returned because he didn't get knocked out by that. He punched her in the chest, knocking her breathless and backwards. She fell on her back, but was quick to flip back onto her feet. Sasuke was no longer standing in front of her. Somehow, he had moved behind her in the blink of an eye. Without turning around, Buffy grabbed him by the top of his hair (the part that looked like a duck butt) and picked him up before throwing him into the side of a building. He hit it back first, his head taking a considerable beating, before sliding back down to the ground. Even with that blow, he managed to land on his feet.

_What is with this guy? If I had fought a human guy before, even one of those attacks would have knocked him out cold if it didn't kill him. Is this kid some kind of super human or something? _Buffy wondered before entering combat with Sasuke again.

"Sasuke! What the hell are you doing?"

The boy let down his guard upon hearing a female voice yelling at him. Buffy was a second too slow to register this voice and her fist impacted Sasuke's pretty face, knocking him back a few steps. He glared at her for a moment, then his gaze shifted back to the person who had called him out. Buffy, Oz, and Angel also looked to see who this person was.

It was a girl around the same age as Sasuke, only slightly shorter. She had short pink hair and emerald eyes that were at the moment staring hard at the boy. Like him, she was pale, and also a bit scrawny. She wore a sleeveless red dress with a strange design made of white lines, dark bluish-green shorts, the blue sandals, and the headband with the strange symbol. Her hands were on her hips, and it was obvious that she was angry. Buffy also noticed that there were two marks on her neck and wondered if the girl had been attacked by a vampire.

"How dare you attack random people on the street! Don't you know that's wrong? They haven't done anything to you, and yet here you are, trying to beat the shit out of some blonde you just saw on the road! You're wasting your energy, and you know you have to conserve that for training with Kakashi-sensei and for tonight when we go slaying! I ought to tell Kakashi-sensei to make you run a hundred laps for that!" the girl shouted. "Now apologize before I am forced to use my super-inhuman Slayer strength to kick your ass to the training grounds!"

"Sakura, this isn't the time for you to be threatening me. These people are claiming to be friends of Dawn and the others, but they're also saying that the blonde is the last Slayer back from the dead. I don't know about you, but I don't trust people who say that the Slayer isn't dead when you're proof that she is. So leave me to this fight," Sasuke said.

_So...this is the new Slayer. She doesn't look like much,_ Buffy thought. _But neither did this Sasuke kid, and yet he is taking my attacks like they're nothing. What do these kids get taught over here? And what's this about training?_

"No fighting. Let me handle this," Sakura told Sasuke. "What are your names? And be honest. Lies won't get you anywhere in this village."

"Like I told Sasuke, my name is Oz, the guy in the shadows is Angel, and she is Buffy," Oz muttered, no longer on the ground and standing next to Buffy.

"…Buffy? Dawn's mentioned that name before…" Sakura murmured. "Angel, are you a vampire with a soul?"

"Yes. I'm not even going to ask how you know that," Angel grumbled.

Sakura turned to Sasuke. "They're the real deal. Buffy was the last Slayer; Willow and the others must have done some kind of spell to bring her back. Now apologize for trying to kill Oz and for fighting the greatest Slayer to ever exist before I am forced to hurt you for being so rude."

"How can you just accept them like that? They could be lying!" Sasuke exclaimed.

"They're not. Dawn told me about her sister named Buffy and her first boyfriend, the vampire with the curse of a soul named Angel," Sakura countered. "Now apologize."

"…Sorry…" Sasuke mumbled, not wanting to argue with her anymore.

"Good." Sakura turned to look at Buffy and the others. "I imagine that you would like to see your sister and the others again. I'll show you to where they're spending their days in Konoha. There's a new girl there, too, but that'll be explained in time. Follow me."

* * *

Bastet cautiously walked into the house that Sakura had directed her to enter, feeling more out of place than she had ever felt even when in the form of the werewolf. She had been among strangers ever since she had come to Konoha, but now she was going to have to live with them. At least these people were foreigners just like her.

As soon as she stepped into the living room area where the others were gathered, she felt like a Cleopatra among the pharaohs. They looked at her like she just killed someone. But then the man with dark hair and a childish smile stood up and greeted her, extending his hand for her to shake. That helped ease her discomfort.

"Hi. My name is Xander. And you are?" he asked.

"My name is Bastet. I…was the werewolf that the one girl possessed last night," she murmured. "…Lady Tsunade said I was to stay with you guys and assist in keeping Konoha safe from evil."

"Great. We have a killer monster living with us. What's next? We're going to have a dragon sleeping in our beds?" the blonde girl who looked as if she had very few brains in her head complained, obviously not open to having a werewolf living under the same roof as her.

"Anya, be nice," Xander said. He turned back to Bastet. "Don't mind my fiancée Anya. She's been a bit grumpy lately because of having to relocate to a new place and getting her butt kicked by vampires. Allow me to introduce you to the rest of the Scooby Gang. Young brunette, Dawn. A little bit older brunette, Tara. Red-head, Willow. Old geek with glasses, Giles. Bleach-blonde jerk, Spike. Avoid him at all costs. He's a vampire and wouldn't hesitate to bite you."

"Oh sod off, Harris. You know that damned chip in my bloody head won't allow me to harm her. And besides, the blood of mongrel is just as disgusting as you," Spike growled.

"Okay, let's drop the werewolf thing right now. It's not like we don't all have our own problems that were thrust upon us," Willow remarked. "It's all right, Bastet. You will have no criticism from me. I used to date a male werewolf when I was in high school. Then he cheated on me with another werewolf and I moved on to someone else."

"What problems do you guys have? You all look normal to me," Bastet commented.

"I'm a witch," Willow said.

"So am I," Tara mumbled.

"I'm the all-powerful Key that some hell goddess wanted to get her hands on cuz I have the power to unlock the gates of the hell dimensions," Dawn muttered.

"I'm a bloody vampire," Spike grumbled.

"I'm an ex-vengeance demon," Anya announced.

"I was a Watcher for some time," Giles stated.

"And I'm just plain human. That itself had enough problems," Xander pointed out.

"Wow. You weren't kidding about the problems thing." Bastet didn't feel so out of place anymore. Everyone was just like her…they all had a special curse of some kind. Maybe being stuck in Konoha wouldn't be so bad after all.

"So…do you have any family that you have neglected to call since becoming the wolf?" Dawn asked. "Now might be a good time to reconnect with them. After all, you're going to be stuck with us for some time. Might as well let your family know you're all right."

"…There is someone…My brother Atem. He lives alone in New York, as our parents died a few years back. He is a year younger than me, but I still felt I needed to take care of him. I told him I was going on a vacation to escape the busy life of an American for a few days…but that was months ago. He must be so worried about me. I would have called him…but that would mean telling him what I was," Bastet murmured.

"No one wants to admit to their family that there's something different about them. But trust me, your brother will overlook that tiny flaw because he will be relieved to hear that his sister is still alive and hasn't abandoned him," Dawn told her. "Go call him and make his day. You can even use my cell phone." She pulled the said phone out of her pocket and tossed it to Bastet.

"Thank you. You do not know how much this means to me."

* * *

_A/N: End of chapter. Not a lot really happened this chapter...Not with the Buffy or Naruto characters, anyway. That's what it seemed like to me. There has been the introduction of an OC and her brother Atem. Just an FYI, Atem is a character from another anime show. I kinda wanted to use him cuz he's cool. And Bastet will have a purpose; she won't just be there to be there. That will be revealed in later chapters. And who do you think Tsunade was going to date? Whatever you think, please tell me. Thank you for reading._


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: Not much to say, except you're going to have to accept my apology for taking so long to type and post these chapters up. I have school, and then there's __**Her Pain, His Heart**__ and __**N:TKYC**__ to work on. I just hope my chapters keep you interested. Please read on and enjoy!

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Chapter 9

Dawn was outside on the back porch of the house she and the others would be staying in when Buffy found her. She was laughing with a girl that looked about eighteen, a huge smile on her face, as she sat on that porch. Spike was with them, a smile on his face as well. The other girl seemed happy, too. They were all happy, as if nothing had happened and everything was good in the world. The rainy day didn't seem to bother them while they were on that porch, laughing at a joke that Spike had said.

Buffy was reluctant to intrude, not because she wanted her sister to not know she was there, but because she was afraid her sister knowing she was there would bring down her happy mood. Buffy had to admit, she wasn't the happiest person in the world to be around. Dawn seemed so happy with her new friend and with Spike that she was afraid to bring gloom back into her life. Could she just turn around and leave without letting anyone else know she was alive again? Would that make things better for everyone if she just disappeared from their lives forever? It wouldn't stop the spread of evil, but then again there was always that new Slayer with the kickass moves and her guy friend who could go toe-to-toe with a Slayer without breaking a sweat. The world really didn't need her anymore, did it?

"Buffy…What's wrong?" Angel asked upon seeing the way she was looking at her sister and the other girl and Spike. He and Oz were her only company now; Sakura had gone home to get some sleep before night fell.

"…Nothing. I'm fine. Perfectly fine. Couldn't be finer even if I tried," Buffy lied, not turning to face him to confirm anything. "Why? Do I look un-fine or something? Cuz if I do, then you're crazy. I'm as fine as a girl can be in a situation like mine."

"You are such a terrible liar," Oz remarked.

"We can see the way you're looking at them. You're second-guessing yourself, wondering if coming here really was a good idea. You're wondering if you coming here will bring your friends and your sister down just because you were so depressing before your death. You don't want to go over there and reveal yourself to Dawn, and yet you do. You afraid of what you might do to them by being here. But for thinking those thoughts, you're the crazy one. If I know your friends…which I do…They'll be too happy to see you again and won't even think about feeling depressed," Angel stated.

"…How can you be so sure? I mean, before I died, Dawn wouldn't even speak to Spike unless she had to. And now look at them. They're laughing together. There's not even a trace of hate on her face. Everything's changed since I died, Angel. I don't fit in with them anymore," Buffy claimed.

"How do you know? You haven't even tried yet," Oz pointed out. "Hell, out of all of us, you'll belong. Me and Angel here haven't been with you guys in forever. We're the ones that will be out of place."

"Yeah, but you guys weren't dead for a few months," Buffy muttered.

"True, very true. But Buffy, if you don't go over there and let your sister know you're alive, you're never going to forgive yourself. She'll go around thinking that the spell didn't work, and though it might not show on the outside, she'll be miserable. You don't want Dawn to be miserable. So you need to go over there and at least say hi before running off," Oz said.

Buffy thought about it for a moment, then sighed. "Fine. I'll go over there. But you have to go into the house and say hi to Willow and her girlfriend while I do so. It's only fair."

"…What does Angel have to do?" Oz demanded, not seeing this as fair unless Angel had to do something he didn't want to do, too.

"Angel gets to come with me and face Spike. And that will be punishment enough for him, I can assure you. These two go back, and they seriously do not like each other," Buffy told him.

So Oz slipped into the house, which was easy because the door was unlocked, and Buffy walked towards the porch with Angel not far behind. Dawn was still smiling with her new friend and Spike, completely unaware about what was going to happen. No one saw them coming until they were within feet of the porch. Spike then picked up their scent and glanced over at them, causing his female companions to do the same.

All laughter stopped on that porch.

Dawn looked up at Buffy with wide eyes, shocked to see that the resurrection spell had actually worked and her sister was back. Spike was grinning, overjoyed that the girl he loved was back, but also unhappy because she'd brought Angel with her. The girl felt out of place because she did not know these people and therefore didn't know how to react to them being there. So she just looked down at her hands and fell silent so that whatever needed to happen would happen without her interfering.

"…Hello, Dawn," Buffy murmured, managing to get a small smile onto her lips.

"Buffy!" Dawn exclaimed suddenly, leaping up from her seat and wrapping her arms around her sister. "You're back! I just knew that spell was going to work and you were going to find us! I've missed you so much!"

"I've missed you, too," Buffy said.

"What 'bout me?" Spike asked, feeling left out.

"You…not so much," Buffy remarked.

"Love you, too," Spike grumbled. "I see you brought Angel with you. What, did you two hook up after she came back or something?"

"No. She just called me up, we got on a plane with Oz, blew it up, and here we are," Angel told him, trying his best to keep his anger in check.

"Wow. You guys blew up a plane? That's what we did!" Dawn admitted. "Well, first we got all the humans off, and then we blew it up so that we wouldn't have to deal with those demons later, but I'm sure you guys did the same thing! And you brought Oz too? Great! The more help the merrier!"

"Who's your friend?" Buffy asked, looking at the tan girl who had looked up upon hearing about blowing up planes.

"Oh. That's Bastet. She's been turned into my immortal enemy by a gang of pesky lil' boys who have nothing bloody better to do than prey on pretty lil' girls and make them monsters," Spike replied. "The leader of this village thinks she can help us with our battles, so she'll be staying with us for some time. And she's bringing her lil' brother over from New York, too. This place is gonna get so bloody crowded…"

"Bastet, huh? Funny name…for someone who has been turned into a wolf and not a cat. My name is Buffy. I'm Dawn's sister, and I'm going to help keep other innocent humans from suffering from the same fate as you," Buffy told her.

"…Dawn has told me about you. I haven't been here long, but you are all she talks about," Bastet said. "It is good to know that the spell worked and you are here to save the world like you have done so many times before. You and the other Slayer will do very well together, and evil will not have a chance to triumph with the two of you here to beat it down. I am honored to meet you and the vampire with a soul."

"Does she always talk like that?" Angel inquired.

"No. Just when you get her on a subject," Dawn assured him.

"So, tell me about this Oz. What issue does he have?" Bastet wanted to know.

"He's a werewolf, just like you. Only he's had the curse for much, much longer," Buffy said. "You could almost say he's grown accustomed to the change. But he doesn't like killing people. He usually chains himself up before the change so he can't hurt anyone."

"Really? He sounds…like an interesting young man."

Willow opened the back door then, obviously with something to say. She saw Buffy and Angel and stared for a moment, shocked to see that the spell had actually worked and that her friend was back from the dead and had brought not just Oz, but Angel with her. But then her mind went back to why she had opened the door in the first place.

"Bastet, Rukio is here, and he has something that might help you control the werewolf," Willow announced. "So you'd better get in there and try it out. And excuse me while I scream and hug my best friend."

Bastet slipped into the house while Willow ran over to Buffy and said pretty much what Dawn had. People inside the house heard Willow or had been told by Oz that Buffy was back and came to see what the commotion was about. Only two people remained within the building when Bastet went in. She knew who Rukio was, but the other man was a mystery to her. He had black hair that was sort of spiky, beautiful blue eyes, and was kinda short for a man. Bastet thought he was kinda cute and flustered a little.

Oz noticed her and kind of came to the same conclusion about her.

Rukio was holding two silver collars in his hands-Bastet assumed that he had heard Oz's story and went to retrieve the second one. They didn't look like they had the power to control an ordinary dog, let alone a werewolf. She couldn't see how they would help her not be a mindless killer.

"Hello. I'm Bastet," the girl introduced, extending her hand to Oz.

"…Hi. I'm Oz. Well, that's what everyone calls me," Oz said. "Nice to meet you."

"Same here." Bastet looked over at Rukio and rolled her eyes. "Those things cannot control the beast. They're just collars made of silver. If anything, they'll just hurt us."

"That's where you're wrong. The Council has been working on these things for awhile, with the assistance of spells cast by witches. When a person who turns into a werewolf wears one of these, they will maintain their human ability to be in control of their every action, even when they transform into the monster. It has been tested and is proven to work, and I can promise you'll never kill another human as long as you have this on," Rukio stated.

He handed one of the collars to each werewolf present. Both glanced at each other, obviously skeptical about whether simple-looking collars would actually give them such ability. Bastet sighed and put the thing around her neck.

"I guess we'll see if this thing actually works when the sun goes down. At least this is the last night of a full moon this month," Bastet muttered.

"Yup. Aren't we the lucky ones," Oz agreed.

* * *

_Damn the rain. Damn it for eternity,_ Ino thought bitterly as she shook off the wetness after walking into Rock Lee's home. Rukio had found her earlier that day and gave her the duty of delivering the silver collar to the boy. She had left home with her hair all perfect and pretty, but now it was flat and dripping. The silver collar was perfectly dry, but she didn't think that mattered.

"Lee! Are you home?" she called, wondering if he might be out training even in this weather and after his injury.

"Yeah! I will be right there!" the boy called from another room.

Ino waited patiently by the door, dripping water as she did so. While she had been out in the rain she had been numb, but now the cold hit her like a wave and she began to shiver. That was the last thing she wanted. Shivering in front of him would just embarrass her and ruin her chances of saying what she wanted to say. He would probably just make fun of her for walking in the rain without an umbrella.

The boy appeared, and Ino couldn't help but be taken aback. He wasn't wearing the green jumpsuit with the orange leg warmers that he had taken a liking to because of Gai. Instead, he was wearing a white muscle shirt and black pants. He almost lost his identity with the outfit change, but his hair and face made it obvious who he was. Rock Lee noticed Ino's gaze and blushed a little. Then he saw her shivering and realized that she was soaked.

"You poor thing. You must be soaked to the bone. Allow me to get you a towel so that you may dry off. Then you can tell me why you have come here," Rock Lee offered.

He quickly went off to retrieve said towel for Ino, returning within seconds with a fluffy white towel in his arms. Ino smiled as she gratefully took it from him and dried her hair to the best of her ability before wrapping it around herself to keep her clothes from dripping all over everything. Her hair was still a bit damp, but at least it wasn't frizzy or anything like it would have been if she'd dried it all the way.

Rock Lee led her into his living room, where he offered to start a fire in the fireplace to warm her up. She politely declined, saying she would warm up just fine without one. They sat down on the floor while the rain continued its steady fall onto Konoha. It was almost peaceful and romantic…in a sense to the word. Ino didn't feel any tension or creepiness or anything at the moment.

"So, Ino, why have you come?" Rock Lee asked.

"Rukio wanted me to bring something to you that's supposed to give you complete control when you are…in the werewolf form," Ino told him, handing him the silver collar. "He says that you just put it on and the spells on it will do the rest. I think it's worth trying…since you…"

"Are now cursed? Yeah…" Rock Lee muttered. "We shall see whether this will work."

"…I guess Gai gave you the day off," Ino said, trying to keep a conversation going between them so she wouldn't have to leave.

"Yup. He does not want me to train or go slaying for a couple of days. Gai-sensei thinks that I am still weak from the werewolf attack and does not want to push me until he is sure I am back to full health. I believe he just does not want to risk me hurting people when I…turn into the werewolf," Rock Lee grumbled. "He looked…terrified…when he came to see me this morning…Whether it was for me or because of me, I do not know."

"…Why would he be terrified of you? You're his favorite student," Ino pointed out.

"Teh. Not anymore. Not since I was bitten. Everyone that knows is afraid of me. That is why no one came to see me in the hospital except you after the attack. It was just last night, and yet everyone has forgotten who I was before the bite. I have not changed… but everyone expects me to be a…monster."

"…I don't. And I'm not afraid of you. If I was afraid, I wouldn't have gone to see you in the hospital or have ran with you there even though you were bleeding all over me, and I wouldn't be here. If everyone else is, then it's their problem. You're the same old Lee, only you were hurt in battle and are cursed," Ino said, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. "…I blame myself for you being cursed, you know. If I hadn't been so stupid, so weak, you never would have had to save me and therefore you wouldn't have gotten bitten."

Rock Lee looked alarmed by that statement. "No, Ino! You are not responsible. It was me. It was the only way I could save you. So what if I am a werewolf. I saved lives that night, and if I must become a werewolf because of it, so what. At least you are still alive. If you had died, I do not know what I would have done. So do not blame yourself for something you had no control over."

"…All right. I'll try not to." Then she couldn't help but ask, "What's with the outfit change? Did something happen to your green jumpsuit?"

"No. I just did not feel like wearing it anymore. I cannot live in the shadow of a man for my entire life, anyway. It is time for change. And besides, I thought that…you might like the outfit more than the jumpsuit."

"I do like it. It looks wonderful on you, Lee."

He turned red, embarrassed by her compliment. "Thank you, Ino."

"Here. Let me put the collar on you. It'll go great with this cuz silver goes well with every color…well, almost every color."

Ino helped put the silver collar around Rock Lee's neck. The way she did it was kinda awkward for the both of them. Instead of moving around to the back to fasten it on, she stayed near the front and leaned forward to put it on him. His head was in the perfect position to get an eyeful of Ino's bosom. She didn't realize that until after she got the collar on him, and couldn't help but blush at that realization. Now he was really going to think she was weird.

But when she tried to pull away, Rock Lee grabbed her hand. She turned to look at him, surprised that he was touching her after that silly little thing she just did. His other hand caressed her face, and then tilted her chin. He moved his head, and before anyone could really comprehend what was happening, they were kissing. Ino was shocked to discover that Rock Lee, the boy she'd always thought was a little creepy, was an amazingly good kisser, probably even better than Sasuke. But to find out for sure she would have to ask the only person who had kissed the Uchiha…Naruto. Their lips were locked for quite some time before Rock Lee slowly pulled away.

"…Ino…I…I…I love you. And I know you do not feel that for me because you and Sakura are always fighting over Sasuke…But I just had to let you know," Rock Lee said.

"Oh, Lee. Don't you get it?" Ino inquired, smiling.

"Get what?" Rock Lee was clueless.

"…Get _this_." Ino pulled his face to hers again, only this time she kissed him more passionately. He couldn't help but kiss her back with the same intensity because, well, he loved her. With her being more giving this time, their kiss went straight into a make-out session that no one saw coming, especially not them.

"…I get it now," Rock Lee stated breathlessly afterwards.

Ino grinned. "I knew you would."

"I love you, Ino-chan."

"I love you, too, Lee-kun."

* * *

Many, many miles away, something evil was happening. A pallid figure with snake-like eyes and long black hair sat in his throne with his glasses-wearing right-hand man standing beside him, listening intently to the words of a supernatural man. This man was not like any other; he was the living dead. He called his kind vampires, people that maintained immortal life by drinking the blood of humans. And vampires had speed, strength, and skill unmatched by any ninja. Or so this man claimed.

"And what is your point, Dracula?" the pallid ninja demanded, bored of his rambling.

"Well, Lord Orochimaru, with this gift as your own and for your men, no nation would be able to stand against you. You could conquer the entire world and kill those who would disagree with you while actually benefiting from their deaths. Turning the entire Sound village into vampires would speed up the process of world domination for you," Dracula claimed. "The only catch is that you have to avoid sunlight and holy items."

"…Christianity, Shinto, or other?" Orochimaru asked.

"Christianity, of course. You don't see vampires wincing from being confronted by the Buddha, do you?" Dracula pointed out.

"…Kabuto and I will consider your offer, Count. Stick around and we shall have an answer for you by tonight."

* * *

_A/N: Oh my goodness! Can you imagine a vampire Orochimaru? Creepiness! What did you think? Please tell me. Thank you for reading._


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N: Here's the next chapter. Before you start reading it, though, let me throw a question out. Should Buffy be with Spike or Angel, should Oz and Bastet get together, and should Giles get a girl? Something to think about while you read on.

* * *

_

Chapter 10

**A Few Weeks After The Last Chapter…**

They were surrounded and outnumbered…completely and utterly outnumbered. Buffy, Sakura, Sasuke, and Angel had discovered a demons' cult and their hideout. These were the demons responsible for the recent disappearance of local children, which they had planned on using as a sacrifice for a much more powerful demon. The Slayers and their partners were four while the demons were at least five times that.

It wasn't a fair fight for the demons.

Sakura and Buffy jumped into their roles without a moment's hesitation, engaging in battle with the demons closest to them. Sasuke and Angel joined in, one using his ninja abilities and the other using his immortal strength to get the best of these ugly creatures. Blunt hits and pointy weapons would not be the end of these baddies, however. The only way to kill them was with fire. There was only two ways they could conger up fire quickly: a spell from Willow on the outside or the Fireball Jutsu from Sasuke on the inside. They couldn't risk hurting the children in the middle of these demons' pentagram; spells were out. Sasuke would have to take them out as quickly as possible.

Slayers and Angel were only to keep the demons busy while Sasuke incinerated them. He began forming hand signs, avoiding attacks from his supernatural foes as he concentrated his chakra. Kakashi snuck in and started evacuating the children, knocking out any demon that dared to bother him and his job. He could have helped with fire jutsus, but that wasn't the duty he was assigned by Giles. True, he didn't have to take orders from that British nerd, but it was better not to get into arguments.

Besides, his students were handling themselves quite well alongside the other Slayer and the vampire. He had full faith in their ability to take care of the demons.

"Flame on, Sasuke!" Buffy shouted, throwing a demon in his direction. That demon quickly became a pile of ash and was followed by six others. "You make the Human Torch look lame, you know that? He never roasted any demons!"

"Yeah, but he was never real, either!" Sasuke growled as Sakura sent a demon his way.

"True, very true."

"Can we focus on the problem at hand and forget about the Human Torch?" Sakura gasped as she lifted three demons up in the air and threw them above Sasuke, where he turned them to ash. "There are more serious things to think about than a made-up character, you know! Like keeping our lives!"

"She's right. These demons just keep coming, and if we distract ourselves with trivial thoughts, we might be overcome," Angel agreed, kicking two guys over to the Uchiha.

"Don't look now, but I think I just saw ninja demons roll in," Buffy remarked.

"We'll never beat them all with just Sasuke's jutsu! We're gonna have to blow this place up and incinerate them that way!" Sakura exclaimed. "Are all the children out?"

"…It appears that way," Sasuke told her.

"Good! Then let's get out of here and light this place up like a holiday candle!" the pink-haired Slayer yelled.

The squad of vampire slayers knocked the demons back and made a break for the doors. They made it outside and Willow did her magic, making it so that the demons couldn't follow her friends' escape path and also so they couldn't find other means of making it out. While the Slayers had been inside fighting, their friends had put bombs all over the building, waiting for their friends to come out. Willow gave Ino the signal, and the blonde set them off, lighting the building up like a roman candle.

Sakura collapsed breathlessly onto the ground. The demons had given her a hard time and she had received some minor injuries, but that wasn't the problem. She had had to fight every night for three weeks and hadn't had too much time to rest during the day because of training or missions. She hadn't had a break in forever due to being a ninja and the Slayer rolled into one. Even having Buffy around didn't help with free time. Her Watcher Rukio just said that two Slayers out at night would improve the slaying. Buffy was just as tired, but she was used to this kind of stuff as she had been doing it for six years and therefore knew how to keep it hidden. Sasuke was exhausted, but his didn't compare with Sakura's because he hadn't fought as often as she did. And Angel…well, he was a vampire who scared other vampires in the other direction.

"…You don't look too good, Sakura. Maybe you should go home and rest or something," Naruto suggested, coming over to her side and kneeling. "You're panting like a dog just from fighting a handful of demons. Last week you could have taken those guys without breaking a sweat. I may not be an expert about Slayers or a doctor, but I think this means you need to take a nice long vacation to regain your strength."

"…No…I'm fine…Just need to catch…my breath for a moment, that's all," Sakura gasped, lying with every word.

"You know, I'm going to side with the blonde knucklehead on this one. You need to get your ass home and stay there for a couple days," Xander put in. "I don't care if you're the Slayer and I don't care what Rukio says. You're a thirteen-year-old girl who needs to sleep. I'm sure Buffy will agree with me."

"Yes. You need sleep," Buffy said.

"Can't sleep…I'm the Slayer…things to slay…have to save the world…" Sakura huffed.

"Oh come on. When I was thirteen I was asleep all night. Thirteen-year-olds are still kids physically, even if they have the duty of the Slayer and, in your case, a ninja. And when I found out I was the Slayer, I took a few nights off…it was behind Giles' back sometimes, but hey. I came back a better Slayer the night after," Buffy told her.

"…But…what if Rukio complains? I don't…I don't want to face his…punishment," Sakura murmured. She had pissed Rukio off once and 'faced his punishment'. It involved doing a lot of laps around Konoha in an allotted time, and if she slowed down even a little, a jutsu of his shocked the hell out of her. It was training from hell.

"I'll tell Rukio to take his punishment and shove it up his ass. And I can do that. He isn't my Watcher so he can't do anything about it," Buffy remarked.

"Well, actually, he could…He's standing right behind you," Angel muttered.

Buffy spun around and came face to face with the blonde Rukio. She didn't waver the slightest bit when confronted by this man. Even if he was a ninja, he didn't scare her. Hardly anything could scare someone who had died twice already. Besides, she could take him if she really wanted to. He was just a man barely older than her. Giles was with him, as always.

"What was that you were saying about taking my punishment and shoving it up my ass?" he asked, appearing calm.

"I said I was going to tell you to take your punishment and shove it up your ass, but hey, what you said works, too. I'd gladly shove something up your ass when you're making a thirteen-year-old girl fight every night of her life for the past month. And to top it off, you expect her to train and complete her ninja missions. Have you been smoking something, Rukio? Even Giles didn't make me do all that shit, and I was a few years older than Sakura when he was my Watcher," Buffy stated.

"I'm not dear old Rupert, Buffy. I am Rukio, and I suggest you back off now. Sakura is my Slayer; I say what she does. No one has any influence on how I train her," Rukio said bluntly. "And if you talk to your superiors that way, Giles obviously didn't train you well enough."

"Excuse me. Who do you think you're talking about?" Giles demanded, now bitter because of how his friend was tarnishing his name. "Buffy is a great Slayer. She's saved the world countless times because of my teaching methods. So sod off the insults of my methods, Rukio, before I'm forced to hurt you."

"My apologies, Rupert. But you should really control your Slayer. She has no right to be questioning my training methods," Rukio told him.

"Training methods? Are you stupid? Sakura's exhausted! She can't keep this up for much longer, even if she is the damn Slayer! Cut her some slack, for Kami's sake! If you don't give her time to recuperate, she'll slip up in battle and she'll be killed! Then where will you be? You'll have one less Slayer and Konoha will lose another ninja, and then anyone can take over! So think, you dumbass, and let her go home!" Sasuke exclaimed, taking everyone by surprise.

"…Well, he does have a point," Giles grumbled.

Rukio sighed. "Fine. She may have these next two days off. But no one else is getting a break, especially not the other Slayer. Her new training starts today."

"New training? What do you mean, dumbass?" Buffy wanted to know, watching as Naruto and Sasuke helped Sakura to her feet. She was still breathless and too tired to walk anymore. All this Slayer stuff had really taken it out of the young kunoichi; she was way too young to have this duty.

"There are rumors that ninja vampires are starting to appear. In order to combat this, we are going to need ninja Slayers. So Kakashi and I, along with a handful of other ninja, are going to start training you and your fellows so that you may become ninja as well. This will improve our chances of combating this supernatural evil without many casualties. And we couldn't afford to lose you again, now could we, Buffy? No, that would cause Willow and your friends to have to do another resurrection spell, and the next time might not be as lucky as this one. You might only come back slightly and be like a zombie. Then we'd have to put you down before you could hurt someone."

"Back off the threats, Rukio. No one talks to Buffy that way," Xander remarked, glaring at the blonde man.

"Not without getting hurt," Angel agreed, siding with Harris for once.

"And we will hurt you if you keep treating my best friend that way," Willow stated.

"I'm with you guys," Ino said. Buffy had saved her recently, and the woman wasn't that bad. Rukio was a totally different story. He would have left her to die because he thought everyone should be strong enough to protect themselves.

Rukio growled and turned to Giles. "Rupert, are you really going to let these fools get away with talking to a Watcher like this? Your Slayer is calling me a dumbass. Are you really going to stand for that?"

"She's not my Slayer. She's the world's Slayer. And it's not like she's the only one who gave you the name. One of your ninja did the same, and I don't hear you complaining about him. You actually seemed okay being talked to like that by him," Giles shot back calmly. "Besides, I have no control over any of them. I just work with them."

"Kakashi, will you back me up on this?" Rukio asked, turning to his fellow Jounin.

"…Sorry…I'd love to, but I have to get these kids back to their parents," Kakashi told him, ushering the young peoples away with Icha Paradise pulled out. "Good luck with your arguments. You've made a lot of enemies in one night."

Sakura made her friends stay still, for she had something to say. "…Buffy…friends of Buffy that I don't have enough breath to name…Listen to me. Take the training. It won't hurt you…it'll make you stronger and more adept in battle. And in Xander's case…it will make you more useful than repairing broken windows. If we really are going to…go against vamp ninjas…it will be better for all of us to be strong. Not just those who are the Slayer…or those with magic. But the normal humans, too. Just do it, okay? Take it from someone…who is more than just a Slayer."

"Fine. We'll take the damn training. But we're not going to be happy about it. We're going to be very angry…angry enough to file a public complaint," Buffy said, but she was just teasing.

"…I'll take her home, Naruto. You stay with the others and look out for bloodsuckers," Sasuke offered, taking the full weight of Sakura onto himself, which really wasn't that much. Before Naruto could protest, they were already leaving.

Sasuke would have to return after helping Sakura home. That was fine with him; he enjoyed fighting because he was getting stronger with every battle. Unlike everyone else, he looked forward to ninja vampires. At least they would be a real challenge. Then he could become even stronger, maybe even strong enough to go after Itachi. But he really couldn't face them without his pink-haired Slayer out in the field as well. She had saved his life once before against normal vampires. No telling if he would need her again when he faced something a bit stronger.

They arrived on her doorstep a few minutes later. The door was locked and the lights were off, but that wasn't unusual considering the time of night it was. Sakura didn't have a key on her, but she told him the front window was usually unlocked and could be opened from outside. He went to pull it up when he realized that the glass was broken. He put Sakura down on the porch in the seated position before grabbing a kunai knife and a stake and jumping through the window. Concerned and curious, Sakura found the strength to stand up and follow him.

Sasuke flipped a light switch…and immediately wished he hadn't. There were two bodies on the floor, laying lifeless and mutilated. He was grateful he hadn't brought Sakura in yet. She would have screamed and cried if she saw this, and he didn't want to see her cry. He never wanted to see her in pain ever again, not after what had happened in the Chuunin exams or the night she had been bitten by the crazy female vampire.

He heard a scream and glanced up. Somehow Sakura had gotten the strength to climb in the window after him and saw the mutilated bodies of her parents. Tears welled up in her beautiful emerald eyes as she fell to her knees, oblivious of the shards of glass beneath her. She began weeping into her hands, and Sasuke couldn't help but feel pity for her. He had also seen the bodies of his parents, slain by his own brother, but he was younger and the circumstances were different. Sakura's parents hadn't been killed by a demented sibling with no real reasoning, but by some supernatural creature who knew she was the Slayer and wanted to send her a message.

Absentmindedly, Sasuke walked over to the weeping girl and knelt down beside her. He barely whispered her name before she collapsed into his arms, trembling from her sadness. He gently rubbed her back, silent because he knew nothing to say that would be comforting to one who had just lost family. All he could do was stare at the bodies…their corpses weren't normal.

They were missing their faces and their fingers.

* * *

Bastet was in the kitchen doing the dishes alone because of a bet she had lost against Anya. She had been at it for over an hour and was nowhere near done; the house was full and people ate a lot. She didn't complain as she was not the kind to complain, but that didn't mean she didn't hate what she was doing. It was only human to hate chores. All she had to say was that Anya had better be glad she could control herself tonight. Otherwise, she would be the first person Bastet went after.

The collars worked, surprise, surprise. Oz, Bastet, and Rock Lee all still turned into werewolves on nights when the moon was full, but they were in complete control. No one had died at her paw since she had received the blessed collar, and she had never felt so great about it. Now she could see her brother and not fear about hurting him.

Atem would be coming soon. That's what he said every time she called to talk to him. She knew he wasn't lying to her, even though she had already told him what she was. He was just trying to surprise her like he usually did. He was such a great guy. Now if only the rest of the world could see that and not make fun of him because his hair was different and his heritage was different.

The radio was booming in the kitchen as she washed what other people left on their dishes, and she couldn't help but sway to the beat and sing along when she recognized a song. No one else was in the same room and couldn't really hear or see her, so she didn't care about them. The song Sober by Pink was playing at that moment, and she sang the words like they were made of silk, not expecting anyone to be there to hear her. But next thing she knew, she had turned around and seen Oz standing there, looking at her like she was the most perfect thing in the world. She blushed and quickly looked away as another song started playing.

"Hello, Oz. What are you doing in here?" she asked, speaking a little too quickly.

"…I came to see if you needed help with the dishes. It's getting close to time for the change…the clouds blocking the moon are on the move. And I hear it's hard to wash dishes when your hands have turned to paws and you get stronger," Oz replied.

"Well, thank you, but I have everything under control. We can get Anya to do the rest if I change before they're all clean," Bastet muttered as he came over to the sink. "She's the reason I'm stuck doing this in the first place."

"Instead of pointing fingers as to explain why we're here, why don't we see how much we can get done before we turn into creatures of the night?" Oz suggested. "And here's another idea. I wash, you dry. At the rate you're going, this sink will still be full until tomorrow night. Allow me to take over."

Bastet handed the sponge to him and grabbed a dishtowel instead. For a few minutes, they worked in silence to undo what had taken everyone an hour to do. Then Oz spoke.

"You sing very well, you know. I believe you hit your notes even better than Pink, and I'm not just saying that because I live under the same roof as you. You could easily outshine Pink with that voice. You might even be able to outshine Shakira and Fergie, and you know how popular those girls are," Oz stated.

"…Thank you very much, Oz. That is a great compliment coming from a man who was in a band not to long ago. I hear you were quite the singer yourself," Bastet said.

"Yeah, well, I don't like to brag or anything…but my voice kicked ass."

Bastet giggled. "Way to not brag, Oz."

"I know. I'm just so awesome in the way I never brag, aren't I?"

"Stop it. All this laughing is making my face warm."

"You look very cute when you laugh."

Bastet stopped giggling. "What did you say?"

Oz stiffened. "I said nothing."

"Yes you did. You said I look very cute when I laugh."

"I said no such thing."

"You look very cute when you look so guilty."

"Thank you."

"See? When I say something about a cute person, I don't lie about it."

"Just another thing to like about you."

Bastet smiled warmly at Oz, who returned it easily. He hadn't loved anyone since Willow and that female werewolf who had come between them that he had forgotten the name of. He wasn't exactly sure if he was starting to fall in love again, but he was sure he had feelings for this girl who shared his curse…warm and fuzzy feelings.

"…So…what's your story with Willow? I hear you guys were together a few years back, but the werewolf came between you."

"That's personal, but since you're a friend and a cute friend at that, I'll tell you. Willow and I met in high school…I believe it was senior year for me (author unsure). We fell in love and were an idealistic couple. Sometime that year I was bitten and turned into a werewolf. Willow and the others found out and instead of killing me like the supernatural freak I was, they helped me out. It was hard on our relationship, but we made it through that. Then I met this female wolf that connected with me, had feelings for her, stuff happened, she tried to kill Willow, and that wolf ended up dead by me. Our relationship fell to pieces after that. She was my first in every sense of the word. Still haven't really moved on from her. Can't say the same about her, though. She moved on completely from guys and straight to girls. Not that I don't like Tara. She's a nice girl."

"You just want Willow back."

"Right."

"That's perfectly okay. First loves are hard to lose. My first boyfriend still holds a special place in my heart and I still feel warm and fuzzy feelings for him. Mostly that warm and fuzzy feeling is hatred mixed with nausea because he was only with me to make another girl jealous, but I know what you mean."

"Guys can be such jerks sometimes. How women can put up with them is beyond me."

Bastet giggled again, and then apologized because she knew they were trying to be serious. He smiled and for a moment they just stared into one another's eyes, completely mesmerized by the other's blue eyes. Their moment was ruined when Dawn came running into the room with tears in her eyes, the others close behind her.

"Dawn, what's the matter?" Bastet asked as the brunette came to her side.

"…It's Sakura…her parents…they've been killed by some sort of demon…" Dawn whimpered, clutching at her friend's shoulder. "Oh Bastet, she's too young to have this life, too young to lose her parents! Why, why did the Powers That Be choose her to be the Slayer? It's not fair!"

For once, Bastet could not answer her, and she was always so full of answers.

* * *

_A/N: Sad chapter. What did you think about the story and the questions in the beginning author's note? Please tell me. Thank you for reading._


	11. Chapter 11

_A/N: Okay, I'm going to try to incorporate more Naruto into this story because this story has been mostly about Buffy stuff. Also, I'd like to warn everyone that my story might take a gloomy turn because a kitten in my family's care died the morning of November 25 and it has taken its toll on me. I will try to remain normal, okay? Please read on.

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Chapter 11

The others had come to Sakura's house to investigate after the ANBU had taken Sakura away to a safe house. No one had really seen anything like this before, not even Giles and Buffy. Sasuke recognized the missing faces portion of this, but wasn't really sure about the missing fingers. Even so, he was betting he knew who was behind this and he didn't like it one bit.

"What kind of demon would steal people's faces and fingers?" Xander asked, for he was as clueless as always.

"I'm not sure, really. We'd have to look it up and figure out who would know that Sakura's the Slayer. This couldn't have been a random attack, of that I'm sure. It was planned perfectly so that Sakura would come home to it. This murder scene was a message…but from whom is anyone's guess," Giles told him.

"…It could have been Orochimaru," Sasuke muttered, catching everyone's attention.

"Orochimaru? Who's that?" Buffy wanted to know.

"He's a former Sannin of this village. Sannin is the highest rank of ninja possible to obtain, and so far there have only been three. He now rules over the Sound village, corrupting the people there and anyone else he can reach without getting caught. He is a very evil man who assassinated the Third Hokage and the recent Kazekage of the Sand village within days of each other. His only goals in life…to destroy Konoha and get his hands on Sasuke Uchiha," Rukio informed the group.

"And why hasn't anyone killed this man yet? I mean, sure he's a Sannin, but you just said there are two others. Those two could gang up on him and kick his ass," Xander said.

"It's not that simple. He practices forbidden jutsu and is the strongest Sannin of them all. The other two…Tsunade and Jiraiya…they've faced him together before…and failed. When it appeared that he would die, he would bounce back like nothing had ever happened or he would be weak but still maintain the ability to move. Either way, he never died in battle even when he should have. Somehow he has an immortal-like life. But we know he isn't a vampire…or he wasn't the last time we encountered him," Rukio explained.

"And why do we believe that Orochimaru is behind this attack?" Angel inquired.

"…Because during the Chuunin exams, he stole a Grass ninja's face and attacked my squad. He can steal people's faces and disguise himself as that person without anyone suspecting him of being anyone else," Sasuke stated. "True, he usually just takes the faces, but maybe he chose to take the fingers for some other reason. We don't know who he's met since all these vampires and demons have come to Japan. Maybe demons wanted them for some reason. All I know is that Orochimaru must have something to do with this…I just don't know why."

"So…Orochimaru is targeting Sakura now? It doesn't make any sense," Ino murmured.

"It doesn't have to. Evil people never make sense. But it must have something to do with her being the Slayer. He knows and wants to bestow his curse mark on her, too. Either that, or he wants to eliminate her so she won't be a threat," Rukio remarked.

"Whoa. Put on the brakes and make this conversation come to a halt. What the hell is a curse mark?" Xander asked.

Sasuke pulled down the collar of his blue shirt to expose the three comma-shaped marks on his neck. "_This_ is a curse mark. Orochimaru puts it on those he believes have the potential to join his village to grant them more power. This boost of power is completely evil, but you'd be surprised how many people are willing to be consumed by evil just for a power boost. He bites people to put this on them; that is how his jutsu works. He just got lucky when he gave me this. I was weak after nearly killing him and he took advantage of the opportunity. Only Sakura was awake at the time, and she couldn't have taken him on. Mine has been sealed so that it doesn't harm me and I cannot tap into its power. That is perfectly fine with me."

"So this guy…Orochimaru…He's planning on putting one of those on Sakura? Well, that can't be good," Angel muttered. "Who knows what that could do to a Slayer? He could kill her at any moment if he managed to bite her, because that looks like something that allows he who bestowed it to control the fate of he who bears it."

"That probably is the case. Ever since I've gotten this damn thing I've done some things that I never would have done before," Sasuke told him as he covered the mark again.

"Then what can we do to protect Sakura? I mean, Orochimaru isn't going to be stopped by a handful of ninja. He's a Sannin, for Kami's sake. What are we gonna do?" Ino wanted to know.

"…We're not going to do anything! _I_ am going to kill whoever killed Sakura's parents, regardless if it's some demon or Orochimaru or whoever the hell was stupid enough to do it! They think _they're_ demonic? Hell, they ain't got shit on demonic! I'll make them pay for hurting Sakura! I'll make them pay for ruining her life! They'll regret ever coming to Konoha! I swear it!" Naruto snarled, his eyes the eyes of Kyuubi.

He began to undergo changes like he had the one time he had faced Haku and the time in the woods against Orochimaru during the Chuunin exams, only at the time he hadn't known the identity of the man because he was in the guise of a female Grass ninja. His whiskers became more prominent and his nails lengthened, looking like they could cut through someone as easily as a kunai knife. His teeth became fangs and his chakra went hyperactive, beginning to have a mind of its own. A red aura surrounded him, imitating the form of he who dwelled within the teen's body.

"Holy shit, what's happening to him?" Xander asked hesitantly.

"Yes, what is happening to him, Rukio?" Giles inquired, turning to his friend.

"…Well, remember how I told you about the Kyuubi that attacked our village and was sealed away into a newborn by the Fourth Hokage thirteen years ago? You've just met the host," Rukio said.

Heads turned to look at him, both of the foreigners and natives. Sasuke and Ino had been oblivious of this fact forever because it was forbidden to speak of in the village. Buffy, Angel, and Willow were newer to this place and just as clueless about the blonde boy whom had been fighting alongside them for weeks now. No one had known they were fighting beside someone with a demon sealed within him…no one.

"Naruto! Calm down! Getting angry and going after someone will only get you killed!" Ino exclaimed, frightened of yet concerned about the boy.

"Doesn't matter…The bastard who took Sakura's family away is going to die, and if I am killed in the process…It doesn't matter. All that matters is revenge," Naruto growled, crouching down so that he stood on his hands and feet.

"Revenge? You have nothing to avenge. Sakura is the one who lost her family. If anyone should be out looking to kill it should be her, not you. And your death would only bring her more pain. Do you really want to hurt her anymore? Well, I suppose you wouldn't really care. You would be dead and not have to see her tear-stained face and wouldn't have to look into her grief-stricken eyes every day henceforth. No, you would be six feet under and wouldn't have a care in the world," Sasuke grumbled. He also feared Naruto's power but was too cool to let it show.

Naruto turned his demonic gaze on Sasuke. "She is too weak to avenge anything. And she's the reason I'm doing this. Her tears, her grief-stricken eyes…I've seen them already, Sasuke. I care about her more than you'll ever know. And you of all people should know what avenging is all about. It's not about who lost what…It's about who has got the heart to do something about it. Now let me do what I got to in order to track down this demon or Orochimaru or whoever. It's about time these demons learned who's really the Hell-creature."

Before anyone could move to stop him, Naruto ran off into the night, chakra tail glowing in the night. No one could find words at the moment after witnessing the blonde knucklehead go demonic-ish. Well, who could blame them?

"…So…What do we do now?" Willow asked nervously.

"Well, it appears we have two major problems on our hands. One is whoever killed Sakura's parents and the other is Naruto. So I say we call in the cavalry and spilt so we can take care of both issues as soon as possible," Buffy said. "What do we know?"

"They were murdered and lost their faces and their fingers," Giles put in.

"We know a guy who knows a guy who takes people's faces and wears them like Halloween masks," Xander muttered.

"Whoever did it knew Sakura was the Slayer and wanted to get a point across, and this person was quick and efficient," Angel grumbled. "Not an amateur job."

"All the evidence points towards this Orochimaru person, but we should still keep an open mind about this. It could be a demon of some sort and not this human," Giles remarked.

Sasuke snorted. "If you think that Orochimaru is _human_, then you really don't know the guy. He's more like a demon than those demons we faced tonight. A snake demon that can manipulate anyone into playing by his rules…a demon who can make everyone on the face of this earth like a pawn in a chess game. To him, the whole world is a chessboard and he's the one calling the shots."

"Well, if you think that I'm going to be scared of a man who is confused about whether he's a human or a snake, then you really don't know me. I've died twice and faced the evilest creatures to ever walk the face of this planet. And I'm still here. So bring on this chess player. I'll put him in checkmate," Buffy claimed. She caught Sasuke rolling his eyes but he remained silent so she didn't say anything about it. "So this Orochimaru guy is our main suspect. With how evil this guy sounds, I'll say it's fair game to kill him if we encounter him. He may be human, but we don't know how long that'll last with all hell breaking loose in Japan. If you see him, you have two options. Option one: Run. Won't blame you for that. Option two: Fight. You can hold him off until I find you and then I'll take care of it. And if it turns out that it's not Orochimaru and it really is some demon, then just kill it and report back to home base. Are we clear? Good. Then let's get reinforcements."

* * *

Sakura trembled in the corner of the safe house she had been forced to stay in. She was still crying and still overcome with grief over the loss of her parents, but that was to be expected. No one could get over the loss of their family that quickly unless they were murderers or cold-hearted or something. Sakura was none of those things. And she wasn't alone. There were at least a dozen ANBU members in the room, along with Spike the vampire whom had been called in because he was undead and a bit stronger than the ANBU ninja. Outside, Oz and Bastet were guarding the building in werewolf form. Rock Lee would have been there, too, but Tsunade had sent him and his squad out to look for the creatures responsible for the death of her parents.

Spike pulled out a cigarette and lit it despite protests from the ANBU. Sakura didn't like him that much at all, for his cool attitude towards everything just really pissed her off. He wasn't really even that concerned that someone was trying to kill her and had killed her parents to warn her that they were coming. Hell, he wanted her to die. Why had Tsunade allowed him in the same room as her where he could easily take out the ANBU and end her life himself?

The vampire noticed her untrusting glance and rolled his eyes. "What, cherry blossom? Why the bloody hell are you looking at me that way?"

"…You shouldn't be here. You don't care what happens to me…" Sakura murmured.

"Well, yeah. But Buffy does, and somebody's got to be strong enough to save your ass, so that's why I'm here. Not that I like it. I'd rather be out demon-hunting or vamp-burning than stuck in here baby-sitting," Spike muttered.

"You don't have to protect me…You can just let whoever killed them…finish what they started. That's what you want to do, anyway…You want the child-Slayer dead," Sakura mumbled, recalling the first time they met and what Tsunade had told her of him. "All you care about…is Buffy…Buffy and killing. You love Buffy…and you love to kill. That's all. The child-Slayer shouldn't have even been here, right? 'Oh bloody hell no; she should have died before Buffy. Then we bloody wouldn't have to deal with her and her bloody sadness just cuz her parents bit the dust. There are worse things that we bloody have to worry about than just some girl's foolish tears.'"

"…Okay, first off, very bad impression of me. Second, don't talk 'bout me like you bloody know me cuz you don't. I may have said that before and when we first met, but I don't mean that anymore. You're not as lame as I thought you'd be and you definitely make Harris look weaker than ever. And you're not just 'some girl.' You're a ninja and a Slayer. No dying for you. And I would never look down on a thirteen-year-old girl for crying 'bout her parents' deaths. It's only human," Spike told her.

"Just saying you don't want me dead doesn't really prove anything, now does it? You'll have to show me some proof if you ever want to gain my trust," Sakura stated.

"Oh, I know. 's why I'm here," Spike said.

"I thought you were here because Buffy cares what happens to me and you're the only one strong enough to save my ass."

"What, I can't have more than one reason for being here?"

Just then, two ninja popped into the room. They bore the symbol of the Sound village on their brows and normally that would have been cause enough to kill them. But there was something more to them than had once been. Their faces had vamped out and their fangs glistened in the moonlight, making these Sound ninja look more monstrous than they had when they were just human.

The ANBU jumped into action to protect Sakura from these vampire ninjas. The Sound vamps took out three each with ease as if the ninja were just children's toys. One of the remaining six pulled out a version of a machine gun that shot out stakes and went a little crazy. He managed to stake both Sound vampires and they turned to dust, but he did not lower his weapon. He, as well as everyone else in the room, knew that those were just the first of many to come. The others would be upon them soon. So the other ANBU members copied their comrade's action and wielded their own stake guns.

"Spike, you'd better be prepared to get Sakura out of here. We cannot risk the chance of these ninja or their leader getting her," one of the masked elite ninja remarked without turning to look at the vampire.

"All righty then. Guess me and you are 'bout to find out just how trustworthy I really am, cherry blossom," Spike muttered, gathering Sakura in his arms. "You and I are going to go for a lil' run to escape these ninja vamp-wannabes cuz we can't let one of the three Slayers die or worse. You'd best be ready yourself. Who knows what these guys have got up their sleeves. I may not be able to handle them myself, just to let you know."

A dozen more Sound vampires appeared. Spike immediately broke through the wooden wall and ran, carrying Sakura the whole time. Their werewolf guards were busy fighting more of them and they appeared to be losing, but Spike couldn't stop to help them even if he really wanted to. He kept running heading towards the one place where he knew no one could harm her, where magic was the only thing standing between safety and death.

He ran towards the house.

While he did so, Sakura stole into his duster's pocket and grabbed his cell phone. Buffy's number was on speed dial (surprise, surprise), so it didn't take long for her to get in contact with her. She quickly explained the situation and told her to get Willow over to the house ASAP. Buffy agreed and said she would find them if anything went wrong. Then she hung up and Sakura put the phone back where it belonged.

Sound vampires managed to catch up to Spike, and he was about to drop Sakura and show them what's what when she finally did something that was really useful. Her hands quickly formed hand signs while Spike kept the vampires busy with words, and then she let loose a jutsu she'd stolen from Sasuke. Fiery orbs instantly incinerated the vampires before any of them knew what hit them. They were nothing but ash when the smoke cleared.

"…What…What the bloody hell was that?" Spike exclaimed.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu. It's something only a ninja can do, and usually it's Sasuke that does it. I suppose you could say…I stole it to save our asses," Sakura murmured.

"Well then. As long as you don't turn that jutsu on me, then we're in business. Any more of those baddies come up on us, you just turn them into ash and we'll get you to safety," Spike said.

"I don't think that's going to be possible."

Spike stopped when another Sound vampire got in his way. This one was different than the others. His hair was silvery and he wore a pair of round glasses on his nose. He hadn't vamped out yet, but something in his eyes alerted the duo of what he was. Sakura also knew who he was and didn't like it one bit.

"Kabuto…So you're a vampire now, too?" Sakura asked, glaring at the medic nin/ vampire/ right-hand man of Orochimaru.

The man smirked. "Everyone who serves Lord Orochimaru is now a vampire, including the pallid man himself. Now we're the most powerful ninja to walk this planet, and we'll have no trouble taking over the world. No one can stop us. Soon Lord Orochimaru will be able to destroy this village and every other, and then the world will shortly follow. Anyone who stands in our way will die."

"Who's Orochimaru?" Spike wanted to know, clueless.

"…I'll tell you later. All you need to know right now is that he's a manipulative bastard who wants Sasuke and also wants to destroy Konoha," Sakura muttered. "And now he's a vampire…As if he wasn't powerful enough without being immortal."

"What do you want, you glasses-wearing freak of nature?" Spike demanded.

"Mind your words, vampire. Wouldn't want to kill you when you could always come back on our side," Kabuto said, wagging a finger at Spike. "What I want is really simple. You hand over this Slayer and I take her to Lord Orochimaru so that he can decide her fate. Either she dies…or she becomes his minion. His decision."

"No way. I'm not going to Orochimaru. And don't you tell me that he's responsible for my parents' deaths. That'll just give me more reason to kill him," Sakura grumbled.

"Sadly, my lord isn't responsible for your parents' untimely ending. When he came to do the honors, someone else had already been there. Some sort of demon imitating his jutsu, I suppose. Besides, he couldn't have done it. He was too busy adjusting to the change in his body due to that Count Dracula transforming him," Kabuto told her.

"Count Dracula? He's really real? Wow…" Sakura mumbled.

"That vamp's very real. But bugger this conversation. Ash him, cherry blossom."

Kabuto sneered. "I'd like to see her try."

* * *

Sasuke and Willow had separated from the others to search for Naruto. Shortly after doing so, Buffy called her red-head friend and informed her that there were ninja vampires on the loose and to find Spike and Sakura. They had traveled to the safe house only to find the ANBU dead and Oz and Bastet about to become vampire chow. Sasuke had made short work of the Sound vamps with his Phoenix Flower Jutsu, saving the werewolves' lives. The group then set out to locate and protect Sakura from Orochimaru if he indeed went after the pink-haired Slayer.

It was then that they encountered the very man who they feared was in Konoha.

"…Orochimaru…" Sasuke growled, glaring at the pallid man.

"Well, hello again, Sasuke. It seems you would like to kill me. Not surprising, but not possible on your end. I am far stronger than I was the last time we fought, when I bore the face of that Grass nin and you thought you nearly succeeded in killing me. I wasn't immortal then…but I am much more than immortal now. So go ahead…try to kill me. You and your friends will fail regardless of what you pull," Orochimaru stated with a sneer as he looked upon the boy he wanted for his host one day.

"I wouldn't bet on that, Mr. Snake Vamp. I…I'm pretty powerful, and I wouldn't mess with us if I were you," Willow said nervously. She was a bit unnerved by this obviously powerful person, but she was a witch and was sure she could take him if necessary.

His golden snake-like gaze turned on her. "You? Heh. You look like the weakest of the group. A mere human in the presence of a ninja, two werewolves, and a god…You wouldn't last five seconds in a fight against me."

"So now you're a god? You'll only be able to fight until the sun comes out. Then you'll just be a pile of ashes and no one will mourn your passing, for your followers would suffer from the same fate. In fact, everyone will rejoice when you no longer walk the face of this earth. So why don't you save yourself the trouble and just die already?" Sasuke suggested.

"Oh but that wouldn't be any fun for me, now would it? Besides, Sasuke, you are one of my followers and surely you would mourn my passing, for if I died that would mean you wouldn't be able to get any power. Then how would you kill your dear old brother Itachi? Would your new friends be able to fight such a powerful man with you? No. They would all drop dead in front of you before Itachi finished eliminating the Uchiha clan," Orochimaru taunted.

"Sasuke, do not listen to him. He is just trying to lure you into attacking," Bastet warned. Amazingly, she could talk in the wolf form as long as she wore the collar.

"I know what he's doing. And it won't work. I will kill him, but not on his schedule. I don't follow Orochimaru…I will never follow Orochimaru," Sasuke claimed.

Orochimaru laughed. "Then why do you bear my mark on your neck?"

"Because you put it there without my consent, bastard!" Sasuke hissed.

"Willow, you'd better start doing that magic thing. I think he's about to lose it," Oz told his ex, sensing Sasuke's tension almost as if it was his own.

Taking the hint, Willow began to murmur an incantation to protect the group from danger in this upcoming battle. Orochimaru didn't strike her as the kind of guy to focus on one enemy at a time. He would probably come after her or one of the werewolves in order to throw Sasuke off and hurt the boy. If he couldn't touch anyone, then he would be doomed with any of his tricks.

Sasuke charged towards Orochimaru with inhuman speed as Willow finished her incantation. Her spell created a force field around everyone who wasn't evil that if an attempt to penetrate it, they would receive painful feedback. Orochimaru quickly found that out as he engaged in battle against Sasuke. The pallid man tried to use jutsu but it had the same result. He summoned Lord Manda but even the snake couldn't touch anyone. Sasuke, Oz, and Bastet sent Lord Manda back to his plane of existence and beat Orochimaru while Willow kept the spell going.

But no one thought of pulling a stake on him until it was too late.

The sun began to rise. Orochimaru realized that he must be going if he didn't want to end up a pile of smoldering ashes, but there was one thing he needed to do before he could leave. Oz and Bastet had quickly run off as they did not want to turn back into their human forms in the public eye, and all that remained was Willow and Sasuke, the latter of which was standing right in front of him. Without thinking, Orochimaru grabbed Sasuke, ignoring the pain caused by Willow's spell, and bit the boy on the neck. Sasuke screamed and tried to punch the snake Sannin, but the man was much stronger than him and had a firm grip on his arms, rendering them useless. He felt the life being drained from him with every passing moment and felt completely hopeless.

Willow was quickly casting another spell in order to get the evil man away from Sasuke. She finished it and sent a bolt of electricity at Orochimaru, knocking him away from the Uchiha. Sasuke's body was too weak to stand on its own anymore, and it started to fall. She ran over and caught him before he could hit the ground and glared at Orochimaru, who was sneering despite getting barbequed by her spell. He was standing in shadow as the sun lit up the whole place. Sasuke was amazingly still conscious and joined her in glowering.

"…When will you see that power is the only way, Sasuke? I suppose that will only happen when you become the same kind of monster as me…See you soon…when the transformation is complete," Orochimaru said as he melted into the shadows.

"Transformation? What is he talking about? Sasuke, did he give you some of his blood?" Willow demanded, worried.

Sasuke gave her a small nod before darkness took over his mind and he could no longer see anything.

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_A/N:_ _What did you think? I know there are some things I didn't cover in this chapter that should have happened this night, like what happened with Naruto and the fight with Kabuto. Those will be talked about in the next chapter. Whatever you think about this story, please tell me. Thank you for reading._


	12. Chapter 12

_A/N: Sorry that I haven't updated in awhile. I've been busy with high school and stuff. I'll try to make this story equal out with the Naruto and Buffy stuff, but people have to understand that this is a story on Sakura's transition from ninja to Slayer and Buffy's feelings about being needed and Bastet's adjustment to life as a werewolf. Naruto will not always be a main character, though I will try to bring him into the spotlight like I did with Lee and Ino. I'm trying, and that's all I can do. Please read on.

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Chapter 12

Naruto ran from the others, too angry to think straight like he should have. All he knew is that he wanted to make Sakura's pain go away…to make her tears stop and to see her smile again. More death wouldn't exactly brighten her mood; she had just lost her parents, after all. But maybe if she knew that the person responsible didn't get away unpunished, then maybe she would be at least a little happy. That was all Naruto could hope for, and he would do anything to see that dream become a reality.

If anyone would understand where he was coming from, it would be Sasuke. Sasuke Uchiha, the boy who wanted to avenge his whole entire clan by taking down the one man responsible for all the death…his own brother. What he had said before to the Uchiha was enough to be sure hardly anyone would interfere with his plans.

His heightened senses made tracking the scent of the person who had been in Sakura's house before easier than it would have been if he wasn't demonic. Whoever had killed the Harunos smelled strongly of incense and there was a hint of dung, but Naruto really didn't want to think about that. All he really wanted to think about was finding the owner of the disgusting scent and ripping it to pieces. And at the speed he was going, the creature from Hell was as good as dead and should have dropped dead already if they knew what was good for them.

The blonde stopped and hid behind a wall when two figures came into view. The figures were demons all right. Their faces were rippled and ugly and their skin was scaly. What hair they had on their heads was black as the night they were walking in and reached from the backs of their heads to the small of their backs. They were dressed in dark robes that had a hood, but it had been pulled back. They were muttering some sort of spell as they threw incense all over the place. That was the obvious source of that smell. Naruto wasn't sure of the other smell's source…until one of the demons openly farted without seeming bothered by it happening. It took all of his willpower to keep from gagging as the smell reached him.

One of the demons whose face looked more masculine than feminine pulled a few things from the pockets of his robe. Even from his distance, Naruto could tell that the demon was holding Sakura's parents' faces and fingers. The other, obviously a female in the face, continued to chant as the male demon did the grossest thing ever. He ate the fingers. Naruto felt like throwing up but didn't want the demons to know he was there. So, struggling to keep his food down, he watched as the male demon underwent a change. The demon's whole body changed into an exact copy of Sakura's father…everything was the same except the face. Where the face should have been was just pale flesh. The demon put Sakura's father's face up to that area and magically it became attached and animated. The demon had become Mr. Haruno.

The female copied the male's actions, only she became Mrs. Haruno by eating Mrs. Haruno's fingers and putting her face on while the male chanted. When the transformation was complete, the demons snapped their fingers and their robes changed into the attire that the parents had died in.

"We look the part, but can we fool this child-Slayer?" the female asked in Mrs. Haruno's voice. "She is, after all, more than just a Slayer. She's a ninja as well. Surely she has been taught to see through deception."

"Her grief will blind her from the truth. She'll desire so much for Mother and Father to return and won't stop to think how they are back until it's too late. We'll have completed the First's request before the last Slayer is ever aware that she's the only one she knows of Slayer blood that's still alive," the male assured her. "Now…let us locate the child-Slayer so that we can finish her off."

They started to do another spell, perhaps to locate Sakura. But Naruto didn't pay attention to their spell. All the incense was causing him to imagine their plan even if they hadn't intended for that to happen. He saw them coming to the grief-stricken Sakura, saw the pink-haired kunoichi jump into her 'mother's' arms with tears of joy running down her beautiful pale face, saw the 'mother' glance at the 'father' with a sinister smirk on her face, saw the 'father' draw a blade…saw Sakura fall to the floor, emerald eyes wide open as blood pooled underneath her…saw her dead…

Anger became stronger within him and he could not stop himself from charging at the demons. They were too startled by his sudden appearance to take action against him at first, and in his rage he tore off the male's arm with his kunai-sharp claws. The male hissed in pain as blood began to spew from his severed limb. The skin of the arm that Naruto shredded returned to that of the demon, as if it had never been a part of the body that the demon now wore. The female had cast a spell after seeing her partner injured, capturing Naruto with her magic so that he couldn't attack again.

He struggled to free himself from her magical prison as the two demons studied him, one with curiosity in her eyes and the other with hatred. He bared his fangs at them as his chakra began to act of its own free will to find means of escaping the prison.

"…This boy…he is angry with us and intends to kill us. He must be in association with the child-Slayer and perhaps closer to her than her parents ever were," the female stated.

"And his chakra is immense. He is no ordinary human, that is for sure. Then again, if he were a normal human…that would make him ripping my arm off with his nails an odd spectacle indeed," the male hissed. "We should kill him for what he has done to me. Now completing what the First desired of us will be next to impossible. The child-Slayer would not believe her father lost an arm for no reason. She will be suspicious. We should kill him."

"No, we shouldn't. The First may have use for him if he is indeed close to the child-Slayer. The child-Slayer is in association with the Slayer and if he is around the child, he ought to be around the Slayer as well. That makes him strategic in the First's plans. All we must find out is if this boy has the potential to kill two Slayers," the female remarked.

She approached Naruto in the magical prison she had created for him, and he tried to lunge at her but some force kept him back. She stuck her hand in his stomach, causing pain to course through him. He cried out in pain as she seemed to be sucking information of his past out of him, the pain so great he thought he might pass out. Kyuubi gave him the strength to remain conscious, which was unlike the demon to aid him in times of need unless their life was in danger. The nine-tailed demon seemed enraged himself, although his reasons were different than Naruto's. He just didn't like for his power to be messed with by a weaker demon.

The female smirked and pulled her hand from Naruto's stomach. "He'll do. He has the spirit of a great demon sealed within. A little persuasion from the First and both Slayers will be history. He will not be useful as of now, as we are to end the child-Slayer's life tonight. But an asset he could be to our cause in the future."

"What will we do with him in the meantime? He knows too much about what we plan to do to the child-Slayer," the male pointed out.

"It'll only take one of us to kill the child-Slayer. And since both of my arms are still intact, I'll go. You can stay and…do whatever you want with this boy except kill him," the female told him.

Naruto looked upon their conversation with absolute fury. He couldn't let her get away so she could kill Sakura. He couldn't, he couldn't, he couldn't! He had to do something before Sakura was murdered and he became the servant of some evil.

Before either demon could make a move to do what they had agreed upon, Naruto busted out of his magical prison because Kyuubi's chakra demolished her magic. He fell on all four as the two demons looked at him and he could _feel_ their fear. Casting his demonic gaze from the ground to their faces he could also see the fear in their false white faces, and they had a right to be afraid. His chakra was way hyperventilating; it was so visible it formed a crimson ring of fog around him. Only the fog was chakra and it was going to help him kill these bastards who dared to threaten his Sakura-chan.

"…Wh…What's happening? What's this power?" the male exclaimed.

"It's the power of the demon within the boy! It's so overwhelming! I…I don't think we're going to get out of this alive! It'll tear us to ribbons! We'll have failed the First!" the girl screamed, too scared to move, for in Naruto's eyes she saw the mountain-sized Kyuubi as if he were standing there himself.

Naruto's hands quickly formed the signs of one of his strongest jutsu, but for some reason it came out stronger than he anticipated and formed two orbs instead of one like it usually did. He didn't complain; it would make this easier than it would have been without the bonus orb. Then he charged forward at lightning speed and sent an orb into each of his enemy demons, tearing a huge whole into their chests and killing them instantaneously. Guts flew all over the place, but Naruto didn't care.

_Sakura's safe now,_ Naruto thought as he watched the bodies of the demons turn back from the false identities of Mr. and Mrs. Haruno to the ugly creatures of Hell.

* * *

Sakura formed the Phoenix Flower Jutsu quicker than she'd ever done any jutsu before and shot the fiery orbs at Kabuto. The silver-haired ninja jumped fast to avoid being incinerated and whipped out some of his own signs. His hands became enveloped in blue chakra that healers used during surgeries to make incisions (the stuff he used when he fought Tsunade in the show) and Sakura knew they were in trouble. But she was still really tired mentally and physically; Spike was her legs at the moment. He would have to be quick in order to avoid being hurt by those hands.

"What the bloody hell is he trying to pull now?" Spike demanded as he narrowly avoided Kabuto's blue hands.

"That chakra on his hands…can severely injure you. It severs whatever it touches…and deems it useless. Just don't get hit by it and we'll be fine. And you won't feel any pain if you hurt him. As he has already admitted, he's no longer human," Sakura muttered.

"Good. I was afraid tonight that chip would give old Spike a bloody headache. But this damned ninja let himself become a lil' bloodsucking night-stalker like me. That's where he slipped up, and that slip-up will cost him his life," Spike boasted.

"Don't boast until after your opponent's dead," Kabuto grumbled, appearing behind Spike with his face vamped out. He made one swift movement with his arm to sever Spike's spinal cord, but the British vampire moved quick enough to avoid the blow.

"Cherry blossom, you're gonna have to keep sending that jutsu at him while we fight. I would give you a hand with that, but lil' Spike isn't a ninja, so all I can do is keep you away from him. I know you're tired and grief-stricken and you hate my bloody guts, but if we don't do all we can to dust this bugger, I'll be the dusty one and who knows what the bloody hell they'll do to you. So are you ready to work with a vampire you don't trust?" Spike asked.

"…If I wasn't ready, would I have saved your ass before?" Sakura countered with a small smile on her lips.

There was no more time for words; Kabuto was advancing on them again. Spike moved at inhuman speed to avoid him while Sakura did the hand signs for the Phoenix Flower Jutsu again. Kabuto dodged the fiery orbs to the best of his ability, but Sakura was a pretty good aim and almost got him a few times. He swore, knowing he had to come up with a better plan if he wanted to get out of there with Sakura in tow…or even his own undead life.

He took the riskiest route there was; he went straight for Spike without trying to avoid Sakura's jutsu. She singed his clothes but for the most part he was faster than her hand-eye coordination. He prepared to use his blue-severing chakra to attack Spike's heart to stun him and then he would decapitate the vampire.

Sakura pushed the British vampire back just in time.

Spike fell on his ass a couple feet back and Kabuto stumbled back a few steps in surprise from Sakura's gutsy move. The pink-haired Slayer was on her knees on the ground, clutching her chest. Her action that had saved Spike had not been without consequence; she had taken his blow that would have caused pain in his undead heart and it had hit hers instead, and it was far worse than just pain. It felt like she was bleeding out, dying ever so slowly, like her heart had been cut. She pulled back her hand and saw the crimson liquid on her pale hands that came from the cut in her dress and chest. Yet even knowing that she might die brought no tears to her eyes. She was in too much shock and too angry with Kabuto to really take in that this might be the end.

"You bastard! You got her!" Spike shouted, pissed with Kabuto as he jumped to his feet.

"It wasn't my fault! She's the one who got in the way!" Kabuto shot back. He was afraid, but not of Spike. Lord Orochimaru would not be happy when he heard about this.

"…Kabuto…I'm going to kill you…for what you've done… and what you plan to do… with Sasuke…" Sakura stammered, somehow managing to stand despite the pain. She glared up at Kabuto with cold hard eyes. "You'll never get away…from your crimes and from me. You can cut me down…you can pierce my heart…you can make me bleed…but even then, I'll find you. And then, I'll ram my stake into your heart and laugh as you turn to dust. Because that's all you've ever been."

Sakura pulled out her stake from her pocket at lightning speed and charged at Kabuto before he could blink. He noticed the rising sun that was just about to come over the tops of the building and knew that he needed to get out of there before he was met with death in some way. Sakura was upon him; she thrust her stake towards his heart. He moved the slightest bit just in time to make the stake miss his heart, but not quick enough to avoid the wooden weapon completely. He ignored the pain of it as he made a cowardly retreat to avoid the rays of the sun that were now deadly to him.

Frustrated and still in a great amount of pain, Sakura collapsed to the ground again. Her severed heart was beating faster than it should have and she knew it would give out soon if she didn't get to a hospital. But she didn't have the strength to move anymore nor could Spike reach her. The sun of morning had bathed Konoha in light, forcing him to retreat into the shadows. If he attempted to rescue her, he would become ashes. So what was she supposed to do?

Nothing.

There was nothing she could do.

Sighing, Sakura gave up.

Spike saw Sakura and heard her heart weakening with every beat it tried to make. He knew he needed to do something and fast, or the world would lose another good Slayer. And it would be his fault…again. Buffy would never forgive him for this, even though he himself didn't kill the girl. So there was only one course of action for him.

"…Oh bloody hell, this is gonna be fun," Spike grumbled.

He ran faster than he'd ever run before into the sunlight towards the dying form of Sakura, feeling the heat of the sun burning down on him. Flames appeared on him, but he ignored them as he grabbed Sakura from the ground. Her blood was appetizing, but even that was ignored by him. He hurried back into the shadows so he couldn't burn her and turn himself to ash. That was one of the few times he had gone into the light of day voluntarily. And he didn't regret it.

Now he just had to get to the hospital without meeting the sun and before her heart gave out on her.

_God damn it, where's that damned Slayer and her witch friend?_ Spike thought bitterly, remembering that Buffy had said she would have come to help when they were fighting. What had kept them?

* * *

"Angel, I promised Sakura I'd be there. She and Spike are out there against a bunch of ninja vampires and Spike's probably getting his ass kicked, not to mention everyone else we sent out there to find Naruto and the people responsible for Sakura's parents' deaths. I need to go help," Buffy claimed, trying to get out of the bed that she and Angel were sharing.

"They can handle themselves. Willow and that kid with the duck butt on his head are probably with them by now. Besides, you need a break just as much as, if not more than, Sakura did. Take the night off," Angel insisted.

"But Angel, all Hell's breaking loose. And Sakura's not getting the night off. Her parents died, remember? That's not going to be as relaxing as what we're doing," Buffy pointed out. "And besides, if we keep doing what we're doing, you'll lose your soul again and be all murderous again. I don't like that idea."

"Fine. Get me pissed off so I don't get my moment of complete happiness. Just don't go."

"But Angel-"

"No buts. You're staying if I have to tie you down."

"Angel, if you tie me down I'm going to have to bite you."

"Sounds kinky."

"It might be."

"This idea sounds fun. Let's try it out."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Don't want to risk it. You could kill innocent people…again."

"All right…Can we go until I start to feel happy?"

"…"

* * *

_A/N: Okay, we've covered what happened to the other characters that night that Sasuke was bitten. It's a little weird, but whatever. What did you think? Please tell me. Thank you for reading._


	13. Chapter 13

_A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in awhile. Here's another chapter for your enjoyment. Please read on.

* * *

_

Chapter 13

Spike reached the hospital at the same time that Willow did. Sakura was in his arms, next to dead, and Sasuke was in her arms, next to dead. The vampire and the witch exchanged glances before telling the nurse at the counter that they needed help fast. The nurse pushed a button behind the counter and two doctors with gurneys came to them. Sasuke went on one and Sakura the other before they were rolled away to be operated on the way that healing ninja operated.

Willow and Spike fell into chairs in the waiting room, one's heart pounding and the other one's not beating at all, though if it could it would be racing. For a few minutes there was nothing but awkward silence, as they were too shocked by recent events to say anything. Then Spike found his voice and spoke.

"…So, what happened to the boy with a duck's ass on his head?" Spike asked.

"He was bitten by a vampire ninja named Orochimaru after Sasuke almost kicked his butt," Willow replied. "I had spells up to protect Sasuke from danger…and everything. But somehow he still managed to sink his teeth into Sasuke and give him some of his icky vampire blood. I fear that Sasuke won't escape this attack alive…"

"Oh, that's terrible. The lil' cherry blossom will be torn up 'bout that," Spike muttered, though he was really worried about Sakura and her feelings. "Sure hope the poor boy pulls through without becoming the monster I am."

"What happened with Sakura?" Willow inquired.

"We got ourselves into a lil' fight with this ninja vamp named Kabuto. She's shooting fire at 'em and I'm dodging an' weaving cuz he's got special powers to sever people…The lil' bastard runs right at us and tries to kill ol' Spike, but the cherry blossom pushes me out of the way and takes the blow herself. Right to the heart, too. Then she almost stakes the bastard in the heart, but the bugger moved just in time for the damn thing to miss and runs off to avoid the rising sun. I'd had to risk being ash to save her ass. But I'm not complaining," Spike told her.

"I just wonder where Buffy was when this was all going on," Willow murmured at the same time Spike said, "That bitch who calls herself Slayer could have saved Sakura had she managed to show up."

"So she didn't just lie to me? She lied to her best friend, too? Whoa…That's odd even for Buffy," Spike remarked. "Wonder what kept her away all night…or who."

"I'll call her and ask her about it. Surely there's a logical explanation for her not showing up," Willow stated, pulling out her cell phone and walking away as to not give Spike the chance to eavesdrop on her conversation.

Just as soon as Willow walked away, Ino and Rock Lee burst through the hospital doors, panic showing clearly in the blonde girl's expression. She spotted Spike and ran over with her boyfriend in tow. Spike cringed as the strong scent of werewolf struck him as it always did when he was in the presence of the weird boy or the other two mutts that lived with him. He wasn't particularly fond of either person and wished they would just go away without bugging him.

"Spike! What happened? Why were you running in the shadows with my best friend bleeding in your arms?" Ino demanded. She wasn't blaming him for Sakura's blood; she knew well enough that he couldn't attack humans because of the chip. She was just genuinely concerned for her pink-haired friend.

"She got hurt saving my sorry ass. And that's all you need to know, Blondie," Spike muttered.

"Who hurt her?" Rock Lee wanted to know. He was much calmer than Ino on the surface, but in his eyes anger burned.

"A vampire ninja from the Sound village named Kabuto," Spike replied.

"And you let him get away? How could you, Spike? My best friend is dying and you let him get away! Now I've got to hunt him down and kill him myself just because a vampire isn't competent enough to kill another of his kind himself!" Ino hissed.

"Shut your damn mouth! You have no right to be talking about me when you don't even bloody know me! I've killed a lot of vampires in my day, a hell lot more than you'll ever know! And I didn't bloody let him get away! He hurt Sakura trying to kill me just before the sun rose and pursuing him would have killed me! Besides, if it weren't for me, Sakura would be lying on the bloody ground bleeding to death instead of being healed in a hospital! So sod the bloody hell off, bitch!" Spike roared.

Ino glared unwaveringly into Spike's raging eyes. Both were pissed from what had become of Sakura, and Spike could only imagine how much madder Ino would be if she discovered what had happened to Sasuke. But neither was willing to leave this argument without a victory in their palms. Rock Lee just stood there, waiting for the fire to cool down as he couldn't stand the yelling.

"…Sorry…" Ino mumbled after some time, turning away from Spike. "I didn't mean what I said about you. It was…uncalled for and I shouldn't say things about people I don't really know."

If she had been the Ino of months past, she would have never apologized for something she had said. But being trained to be a witch, falling in love with a moral-loving werewolf, and facing the supernatural on nearly a nightly basis had changed her into a better person. Tara had taught her it was great to be a fighter, but it was also good to be a lover. The more allies you had, the better. One doesn't want to make her allies turn against her just because of something that escaped her lips. She couldn't be right all the time, either. She had to have the courage to admit when she was wrong.

Spike took a deep but unnecessary breath. "You're forgiven. And…I'm sorry for yelling at you and calling you a bitch." He didn't like to apologize, but he felt it was common courtesy to follow her example. She was, after all, pretty hot-headed like himself.

"Did anyone ever find out who murdered Sakura's parents?" Rock Lee asked.

"Nope. Never did find them. But Kabuto was kind enough to inform us that that Orochimaru freak wasn't responsible. Said they were already done in when that bugger showed up. Who else it could have been is anyone's guess," Spike grumbled.

"Maybe someone else found the demon responsible and we just haven't heard the news yet. I guess we should meet up with the others so we can figure this stuff out," Ino suggested.

"We've got to go, guys. Buffy says there's a group meeting at the Hokage's office and we need to go there immediately. Spike, you'll have to stay here because of your handicap, but we'll find a way to get you out of here and up there soon," Willow said, closing her phone as she came back over to them. "And before you ask, Buffy has personal reasons for not being at the fights that she didn't want to tell me over the phone. But she promised to tell me after this meeting."

"Heh. She and Angel probably got freaky and that's why she didn't come," Spike muttered as he watched the group leave.

* * *

Naruto ran up to the Hokage's office after receiving the summons. He was no longer demonic and had changed from his blood-and-guts-covered clothes into another similar outfit. He remembered everything, luckily for him, and wasn't ashamed of killing the demons, for had he not, they would have killed Sakura.

Everyone was there; Buffy, Xander, Tara, Willow, Anya, Dawn, Giles, Oz, Ino, Rock Lee, Kakashi, Gai, Neji, Tenten, Shikamaru, Choji, Asuma, and Rukio. Even Spike and Angel had somehow made it there without combusting. Naruto noted the absences with a scowl; Bastet, Sasuke, and Sakura had neglected to show up. He wanted to know where they were, but he couldn't help but feel like someone else was missing. Perhaps that was due to the fact he was unused to not having Squad 8 there, as they were still oblivious to everything and couldn't fight the supernatural yet.

He took a seat beside Dawn as Shizune and Tsunade entered through the doors, both looking unhappy and, in Tsunade's case, frustrated. Tsunade took her normal seat at her desk while Shizune, holding Ton-Ton, stood loyally at her side.

"I want to know what the hell happened last night!" Tsunade stated, glaring at each person in her office that wasn't behind her. "And where is Bastet?"

"Her brother called. He's on a plane and she had to go pick him up. She promised to be back as quickly as she could," Oz replied.

"All right then. You can fill her in on our meeting when she gets back. But to get back on subject, what the hell happened last night that resulted with a Slayer and an Uchiha being put in the hospital and many ANBU and civilians in the morgue?" Tsunade demanded.

Naruto's eyes widened in shock. That was where Sakura and Sasuke were, and why they weren't present. They couldn't be. They were both dying. But how could that be? Didn't he eliminate the threat? Weren't those demons the ones who wanted to kill Sakura? If that was so, then why had she still been attacked? Why was she in the hospital? What was he missing?

"I can answer your question. Those damn Sound ninja have gone and turned themselves into lil' bloodsuckers and their leader wants to 'decide Sakura's fate.' At least 's what that bugger Kabuto told us before we started our lil' fight," Spike said. "It would have been nice if the other Slayer had bothered to get her ass over there or the red-head, but one of them was busy in another lil' fight and the other was getting freaky…at least, 's what I think she was doing."

Buffy and Angel turned red and averted their gazes.

"All of the Sound ninja are vampires now?" Kakashi asked, glad his mask concealed his worried expression. "Who in their right mind would turn them?"

"Count Dracula, of course. That lil' bastard's been out of the picture ever since Buffy showed him what's what. He wanted to get some minions and gain some power, and my guess is he decided ninja around the Hellmouth's new location was the best way to do it. He bit every single one of the people in the Sound village that work for that Orochimaru fellow…including Orochimaru himself," Spike informed him.

"Yeah, and while Spike and Sakura were taking on that Kabuto person, Sasuke was fighting Orochimaru. Oz and Bastet were there, too, and I was protecting them all with spells so that creepy pale…whatever he was couldn't hurt them. We were on our way to help Spike and Sakura when we encountered him, and that was the only reason we couldn't be there. We fought until the dawn, and Oz and Bastet had to leave…cuz, well, they didn't want to be caught naked in front of everyone. And somehow, that creepy Orochi-whatcha-call him broke through my spells, bit Sasuke, and gave him some of his blood before taking off," Willow put in.

"So Sasuke is in danger of becoming a vampire? What the hell, can Orochimaru not keep his teeth out of Sasuke? Does he taste good, or is that man just messed up in the head?" Tenten inquired rhetorically.

"That explains those problems. But I still don't understand where everyone else was when these battles were going on. Who I most want to know about is Buffy, but the rest of your inputs would be just fine. Just because I didn't say your name doesn't exclude you from my wrath. Make no mistake; I am pissed at the majority of you," Tsunade remarked. "So…Buffy," she said the name as if it was made of poison, "what were you doing last night while Sakura was fighting for her life?"

Buffy gulped. She wasn't afraid of Tsunade, even though she knew the young-looking old lady could kick her ass before she could blink. Mostly, she was just embarrassed because her reason for not being present at either fight was not a good one and it was personal and would make everyone look at her.

"…I…was with Angel…" Buffy murmured.

Tsunade scowled. "So, you were having sex while people were dying?"

"No, no. You misunderstand. I can't have sex. The last time I did that with Buffy, I lost my soul and many innocent people died. It's not the having sex part that did it. It was that …one moment of complete happiness," Angel explained. He heard Xander and Spike make a crack at his fruitiness and was more embarrassed than he'd ever been in his life.

"If you weren't having sex, then what were you two doing?" Asuma wanted to know as he took a long drag on his cigarette.

"We were…seeing how far we could go before he started to feel happy. We only got to holding in each other's arms…" Buffy admitted quietly. "Look, I wanted to go out and help Sakura, but Angel wouldn't let me. He said I needed a break, and there's no arguing with this man."

"I don't care! The people of Konoha needed you, and you _both_ failed them! Families have lost their brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, and children because of your foolishness! Do you think those families would fall for your excuses? Their tears will not cease! Their loved ones are dead! And their blood is not just in the veins of the Sound ninja that killed them; it's on _your _hands, too!" Tsunade boomed. "Now, who's next to tell me what they were up to last night? How about Xander?"

Xander, who had been making faces at Angel, just stared at Tsunade like a child caught causing mischief. "Umm…I was…"

"He and I engaged in the passionate action of sex in our room," Anya announced like it was normal speech. "I know it was wrong, Lady Tsunade, but at the time it felt so right. Besides, we're just ordinary humans. It's not like we could have had any better luck against those ninja."

"You could have helped us look through the books to see what kinds of demons could have been responsible for the Harunos' deaths," Dawn muttered, arms crossed. "That would have been something."

"Who all was looking through the books?" Tsunade asked.

"It was just me, Giles, and Shikamaru. Choji was there, but he was too busy eating to actually look at the books," Dawn told her. "Tara was in her room, doing a location spell to try to find Naruto. Apparently, he was a threat to people. We didn't get much detail on him because Giles said the matter was on a need-to-know basis."

"Aside from Tara, who was looking for Naruto?"

"We were, Lady Tsunade! Team Gai was on the case!" Gai stated. "Lee was our lead, and he was doing such a great job!"

"Gai-sensei, we were not assigned to finding Naruto. It was Willow and Sasuke. We were supposed to find the person or people responsible for the deaths of Sakura's parents," Rock Lee corrected him. "I was tracking their scent with my werewolf-enhanced senses, remember? And we came across their bodies, dead and mutilated, after feeling a very strong chakra."

Naruto gulped, as he knew whose chakra that was and why the demons were found that way. Would Rock Lee find out just who had done that? Would his secret come out? He hoped not. His friends would not be his friends anymore if they found out what was sealed away in him. Then he would be alone again, just like Gaara was always alone.

"I felt the strong chakra last night, too," Rukio put in. "It must have been Naruto. Only the Kyuubi could have chakra that strong."

"What, are you saying the Kyuubi is sealed in Naruto?" Neji asked, not believing it.

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Rukio grumbled.

Naruto looked at his hands as everyone who hadn't heard this the night before looked at him. He could imagine the shock on their faces, then the fear that would follow, then the desire to rid the world of him before he lost control and killed them all. Rukio was getting on his nerves the way he kept telling people who he was. The way that Iruka and Mizuki had put it, it sounded like it was supposed to be a big-kept secret that was punishable if spoken about. Then why was this guy revealing it without being punished? Did he think he had the authority to ruin Naruto's life just because he was a ninja Council member?

He wasn't the only one frustrated with Rukio's loose lips. Tsunade's expression showed that she was absolutely pissed. In her anger, she had stood up and was gripping the sides of her desk so hard, the wood splintered under her hands. That turned everyone's attention back to her and away from Naruto.

"Rukio! You know it is forbidden to tell people about the Kyuubi! The Fourth Hokage made that law! And yet you've gone and broken the law like it doesn't apply to you! Do you believe the rules of the Hokage no longer apply to you just because you're more than a ninja? Well, I've got news for you! The Hokage rules over whoever lives in her land, and that means _I_ am your leader! For your loose lips, you will be punished severely by Ibiki and his torture methods! Do I make myself clear?" Tsunade hissed.

Rukio didn't meet her gaze; it was obvious that he was ashamed. "…Yes, Lady Fifth."

"Naruto, I do apologize for Rukio's recklessness," Tsunade said, turning her calmer gaze to him, although he was still looking at his hands. "But I would like to know about these demons you killed last night so we can be on the lookout for any more of their kind. Will you please describe them to us?"

"…Sure thing, Granny. There was a male and a female, but both were ugly rippled scaly brown creatures with long black hair, and they wore robes like they were priests or something. They could definitely do magic and they carried incense around with them, along with a foul stench that their bodies produced. But anyways, they had the faces and fingers of the Harunos. They ate the fingers, which made their bodies turn into that of whom they came from, while the other chanted some spell. The only thing that was missing was the face. They just stuck the Harunos' faces on and they worked as if they belonged there. They kept talking about fooling Sakura so they could kill one of the two remaining Slayers for the First, but I really didn't get what they were talking about. They even wanted to keep _me_ around so the First could use me in the future…you know, because of Kyuubi. But I killed them, thinking that I would keep Sakura safe by doing so," Naruto told her. "Even with their deaths, someone got her."

"Look, if it makes you feel any better, she's dying cuz she saved my sorry ass when she shouldn't have," Spike put in.

Naruto glanced up at Spike with a small smile on his face. "It wouldn't be the first time Sakura-chan risked her life to save someone."

"The demons you described…They sound a lot like the Faceless Demons," Giles remarked, calling upon his memory from the books he searched through the previous night. "I didn't suspect any to still be in existence. I find it rather peculiar that they would just suddenly reveal themselves during times such as these."

"Yeah, but they were involved with the First. That can't be good at all," Buffy said.

"What is the First?" Shikamaru asked, his interest aroused.

"The First Evil is the greatest of all evils. It is where all evil came from, and It controls everything with darkness in its heart. It has no physical form; It is just spiritual in a sense. But It can take the form of anyone who has died and reveal Itself to whomever It chooses, which can really mess with people's heads. It has come after me before and tried to get me to kill myself in order to get at Buffy. Buffy stopped me, and because of the First's influence I left so I could never be used to hurt the ones I loved," Angel explained.

"If the First isn't material, then how exactly does It hurt people?" Ino inquired.

"With Its minions. You'd be surprised by how many creatures are dedicated to the First. Of course, It can also cause people to hurt themselves with Its illusions. These demons that Naruto killed…they are prime examples of this allegiance," Giles replied.

"What worries me is what Naruto said about the demons wanting to kill one of the last two Slayers. Does that mean…Faith's dead?" Willow wanted to know.

Silence was their only answer. No one had thought about Faith in awhile, nor had they contacted her to see if she was all right. The only way of knowing was to call an ally back in the States and find out if they knew anything. Angel pulled out his cell phone and said he'd call Cordelia and the gang and have them look into it.

"Well, this is fun…" Spike grumbled. He leaned back in his chair a little too far…

And then he fell.

* * *

Bastet was glad that she had money when she left a store in Tokyo. She couldn't have walked back to Konoha after it had taken her nearly two hours to get there and she couldn't put her brother through that torment, so she bought two bikes that could withstand travel in the forests that surrounded the village. At least they both knew how to ride such transportation. It would save them time, even if it was just a little.

She stood outside the airport as the plane her brother was supposedly on touched down. He would not be hard to pick out among the crowd; he stood out among even other people of their heritage. Bastet kept her eyes on the people as they left to get in their cars and go or reunite with family who would take them somewhere, looking for Atem's unusual trait in the flood of bodies. She saw it and smiled as he came closer.

Atem was tan and stood a couple inches shorter than Bastet, but he was taller than Oz if not by much. His crimson eyes were warm as he saw his sister standing away from the crowds of people, and he flashed her his royal smile as he made his way over to her. That day he was wearing a white muscle shirt under a black jacket, blue jeans, and sneakers, just the same attire he had worn at home. What made him different from everyone else was his hair. It was extremely tall and spiky and made up of three colors: blonde, black, and red, with red just on the outer extremes of his hair and blonde just being his bangs. That was one of the reasons people used to criticize him. The other, of course, was race.

"Hello, brother," Bastet greeted when she was finally face-to-face with him.

"Hello, Bastet," Atem said, his voice on the deep side.

The siblings embraced each other, as they hadn't seen each other in quite some time. Bastet could imagine it being an odd spectacle for other people to see, but didn't care so long as she was with Atem again. Now she could protect him and he in turn could protect her like they used to. And they could be happy knowing the other wasn't in any danger.

"I've missed you, Atem," Bastet murmured as she felt tears welling in her eyes.

"I've missed you, too, Bastet," Atem whispered; he never really spoke loudly except when he was angry. "I feared I would never see you again…I thought for the longest time that something terrible had befallen you while you were in Konoha. But I was only half-right, and for that I am grateful. I couldn't bear to lose the only family I have left."

"Even if she has the curse of the werewolf?" Bastet pried.

"Not even that could scare me away," Atem stated. "Besides, the last time we talked, you had control over your beast. I still hope that is the case. Otherwise, there's going to be a lot of dog hair all over the place and you know what that does to me."

Bastet laughed as she released Atem. He always had a way of making things better than they really were, and she was glad to feel happiness once again. The only other person who could really bring a smile to her face was Oz, but that was for an entirely different reason she was too embarrassed to admit. She pushed one of the bikes over to Atem, and luckily he was able to ride it without being inconvenienced because all he had brought with him was a backpack full of the necessities and nothing more.

"Prepare yourself, brother. It takes a long time to reach the un-modernized village of Konoha, and there won't be any video games or cars there. It's beautiful and all, but once you spend a day there, you might turn around and run back to New York," Bastet warned.

Atem chuckled. "I would never dream of going back there unless you went with me. And perhaps this clean air will give my lungs a chance to become free of smog. Who knows? All I have to say is this place sounds better than New York could have ever been."

_You'll change your mind when you see all the demons,_ Bastet thought.

* * *

_A/N: End of chapter. Yes, I've finally introduced Atem into the story. In case you didn't know, Atem is from the Anime __**Yu-Gi-Oh!**__ as one of the main characters. However, he will not have any traits from the show besides physical appearance. I just wanted to put him somewhere because I liked the character a lot. So what do you think? Please tell me. Thank you for reading._


	14. Chapter 14

_A/N: Sorry that I take forever to update. Here's the next chapter. Please read on.

* * *

_

Chapter 14

Sakura groaned as pain shot through her, her eyes flashing open. She didn't know a lot of things when she first woke up. She didn't know how long she had been unconscious, she didn't know where she was, she didn't know how long she had been wherever she was, and she didn't know how she had gotten to be where she was. All she knew was that it hurt to move despite her healed infliction. A quick glance around the place and she discovered she was in a hospital room.

_Ugh...my head hurts..._, Sakura thought, holding her head in her hands.

"Oh good. The cherry blossom's finally awake," Spike said, getting Sakura to look over at him. He wasn't alone; Buffy and Ino were there, too. She had no idea why the three of them were there. Well, she understood Ino's presence. But the other two…that was kinda something she wasn't used to.

"How do you feel?" Ino asked.

"…Pain…" Sakura murmured. That was the only word for it. Everything hurt, even parts of her she had never injured.

"That makes sense. You did take a blow to the heart and have been overworked, after all. Perhaps the pain chose to come down on you all at once because your body wasn't working for a whole day," Ino suggested. When Sakura looked at her in amazement, she added, "Yeah. You've been out cold for a whole day. And you've missed a whole lot of stuff about people you know and one you never met but shared a connection with."

"…Oh…did I? Well, you guys can catch me up later," Sakura mumbled. While she had been 'out cold', she had experienced a lot of nightmares, which she believed to be the reason for her bad headache. Those nightmares also didn't put her in the best of moods.

"Do you want me to get you some painkillers, love? You look absolutely horrible," Spike remarked.

"…Some Tylenol would be nice, thank you," Sakura muttered.

The British vampire stood up from his chair and stuck his head around the door. He quickly put out the cigarette he had been smoking in a non-smoking area before leaving the room to find a nurse or a pharmacy. With him gone, there was just Ino and Buffy as her company, one of which Sakura could stand at the moment. The other blonde…she wasn't so tolerant towards with what had happened two nights ago.

"Why did you take the blow for Spike? You almost got yourself killed, pulling a move like that," Ino pointed out. "He's a vampire. He could have taken the pain of one blow to the heart. And then you could have jumped into action and saved his ass from Kabuto and you could have totally caught that jerk offguard and then we wouldn't have to worry about him ever again. Seriously, Sakura, what were you thinking?"

"…I wasn't thinking. I just…did," Sakura replied.

"Yeah, well…What you did was reckless! I never want you to do it again!" Ino stated.

"…Well, it wouldn't be the first time I did something reckless to save another. Remember the Chuunin exams? I threw myself at Zaku, stabbed him in one arm with a kunai and bit the other and didn't let go for the longest time…because he was going to kill Sasuke," Sakura recalled.

"Yeah. I remember. And that was after you pulled the trick with the Substitution Jutsu. You did it twice, and Zaku thought you were going to keep doing it. He threw a couple of kunai at you, thinking you were going to substitute again, but you didn't. You took the weapons yourself before attacking him. And he gave you a beating, and you still didn't let go. Not even when it hurt really bad and you were crying," Ino said. "Sakura, you've always been a tough girl. But I think being Slayer made you think you were invincible."

"…No…I don't think I'm invincible. Being Slayer just made me more…vulnerable."

"How so?"

"…Well, before…I was just tough when it came to saving Sasuke and Naruto. But now, I have to protect everyone. Everyone is a potential victim against evil…losing them would hurt me as much as losing Sasuke, or even Naruto. So in that sense…I am more vulnerable, for I would gladly risk my life for theirs just as I risked my life for Sasuke's in the Chuunin exams."

With her mention of Sasuke, Ino bit her lip. Sakura didn't notice. The blonde kunoichi witch was glad for that, but she knew the truth would have to come out eventually. It couldn't be kept a secret forever. Her pink-haired friend would need to know.

"I come bearing meds," Spike announced, coming back into the room. He handed the bottle of Tylenol over to Sakura, who removed three pills from the bottle and swallowed them without water. He glanced at Buffy and Ino. "Did you tell her yet?"

"No. We've been waiting for the right moment," Buffy grumbled, her arms crossed.

"…I don't want to tell her," Ino said.

"…Tell me what?" Sakura inquired.

The other three people in the room exchanged glances, all reluctant to reveal the truth. Sakura eyed them suspiciously.

"Well? Is Buffy going to explain why the hell she couldn't make it to me and Spike, or is it something else?" Sakura demanded. She glared at the adult blonde, as she remembered that her injury was due to Buffy's absence. Willow she could understand, as the witch might have been busy elsewhere helping others. But Buffy, the other Slayer…she hadn't had another calling. Where had _she_ been?

"Sakura, I wasn't there because Angel wouldn't let me go. He said I needed a break, and I regret that I listened to him. But that's not what we're here to tell you. There's something more pressing that if we say it, it might corrupt you," Buffy stated.

"Can I leave? I don't want to see how she reacts and I don't want to tell her," Ino murmured. The memory of what she didn't want to tell brought tears to her eyes, tears she thought she had wept away the previous day.

"Sure, Blondie. You can leave. We'll handle this," Spike told her kindly. He stepped aside and let Ino walk out the door before closing it behind her. He could understand why Ino had left. The girl had reacted badly herself when she heard the news, and she had hardly any feelings left for that boy. Sakura would be far worse off when the truth was told; it would be too much for Ino to see or take. That was why it was up to the adults to reveal it to the pink-haired Slayer.

"Sakura, we should start with what has happened since you were injured and taken to the hospital," Buffy said.

**Twenty-Four Hours Ago, Assuming Buffy Gave A Brief Description of Ch. 13…**

The group dispersed from the Hokage's office, heading towards home for the most part. Rukio had to report to Ibiki for his punishment, Gai and his students had to train, and so did Asuma and his students. Kakashi and Naruto were granted a free day since half of their squad was incapacitated. The gray-haired sensei went his own way, but Naruto decided to join the foreigners because he had nothing better to do.

Luckily for Spike and Angel, clouds had formed over Konoha, blocking out the sun. It was raining, but no one really minded it much. Many were still reeling over the news that Faith might be dead and Sasuke and Sakura were dying and Naruto had a demon. Angel's call to Cordelia had been fruitless, but she promised to have the gang look into it and call him back when she had something. Last night's events had ruined everyone's mood.

"We need something to do to get our minds off all this gloom. I mean, I don't like to feel down, and Konoha is a very depressing place right now. It's raining, we're miserable, what else could go wrong?" Xander grumbled, holding a drenched Anya against him and mentally cursing himself for not bringing an umbrella when it was obvious that it would rain that day.

"What do you suggest we do?" Willow asked. She was willing to do anything to take her mind off of all the bad things going on in Konoha.

"…I know I saw an arcade here when I was walking through one day. It looked more like a club with electronic games, but whatever. It works. We could get dry clothes, grab some money, and head there for the day while we wait for news from the hospital or from Cordelia. At least it would give us something to do without having to worry," Xander said. "Who's with me?"

"I thought there weren't any electronics in Konoha. This place is supposed to be un-modernized," Dawn pointed out.

"It is. They make you pay to play with the toys," Xander told her.

"Well, I'm in. Perhaps there will be some hot ninja in there that can fall down before me and worship the great Anya," his fiancée murmured, thinking of a particular ninja she had seen the day she had come to Konoha.

"Sounds fun. I'll do it," Willow put in.

"Me, too," Tara said.

"Oh, sure. What the heck? I'm in," Dawn stated.

"Well, Spike's got nothing better to do, so I suppose I'll show up the boys at this place," Spike muttered.

"And someone's got to watch Spike so he doesn't get out of hand, so I guess I'll come," Buffy groaned.

"Wherever Buffy goes, I go," Angel commented.

Naruto sighed. "And I go where everyone else is going."

Oz knew he was one of the only ones who hadn't said anything. "Well, I don't want to feel left out, so I suppose I have no choice but to join you."

"What about you, Giles? Will you come with us?" Dawn inquired when the British man didn't say anything.

"Oh, I would love to spend time with you guys wasting my money on useless mechanisms called electronics, but I have another meeting to go to with Tsunade. Sorry. When she calls, she's very demanding," Giles remarked.

"By meeting, you mean date, right?" Naruto teased.

Giles turned red, but did not answer him. A few of the people with him smirked at his discomfort while others laughed. Spike started to taunt him about dating a woman nearly two times older than Giles (I have no clue how old he is), but he stopped when Buffy glared menacingly at him. At least the man was getting around to loving someone again, even if the woman was in her fifties and used jutsu to make herself look younger. If they were both happy in their relationship, then Buffy would be fine with it. But if Tsunade started being overly demanding, then she would have to intervene.

They reached the house where all but Naruto were staying. All of the people rushed inside, glad to be free of the rain. Naruto made a Shadow Clone and told it to get him some dry clothes and an umbrella and bring them to him, and to use the umbrella on his way back. The Clone saluted to show he understood before taking off into the wet streets of Konoha. Then Naruto joined the others inside, failing to notice the two bikes lying on the porch as he did so.

Giles was the only one who had more important things to do than stare at people when they came into the house, and he moved past people to get into his room to change into dry clothes. Bastet had returned during their absence with her brother Atem. His hair was the reason everyone was looking at them, and the boy shifted uncomfortably under their gaze. Bastet put a hand on his to reassure him this would pass. Which it did in a matter of seconds, for people in Konoha were used to different hair styles.

"You must be Atem. Hi. I'm Oz," the dark-haired werewolf greeted, walking forward and extending a hand to him. "It's a pleasure to finally meet the brother of such a tough girl."

"The pleasure is mine, Oz. My sister has already told me much about you, which leaves me questioning where her heart lies. You seem to be a good man who has been very kind to my sister in my absence. For that, I am in your debt," Atem said, taking Oz's hand.

"Whoa! How do you get your hair to do that? You've got to show me one of these days!" Naruto exclaimed. "I want my hair to be as tall as yours! It looks so cool! You must have been the coolest kid back where you came from!"

Atem and Bastet smiled at the hyperactive ninja's reaction. That was a new one for both of them to hear. Usually people were critical of the large spiky tri-colored hair, but it wasn't exactly his fault. He had been born with the tri-colored mop on his head, and one day, it just decided to pile up into what it looked like now. People just assumed he'd dyed it and used a lot of hairspray, but they assumed wrong. Naruto was the first person to ever admire what he looked like, and that heartened him.

"Allow me to introduce these people to you, brother. This is Naruto, Buffy, Angel, Spike, Willow, Tara, Xander, and Anya. Giles was the man that just walked into his room," Bastet introduced, pointing to each person as she said their name. "These are but a few names and faces you must memorize. Many more are to come."

"Well, you sure have changed from the shy girl with no friends to the confident girl with hundreds of friends, now haven't you?" Atem teased, his royal smile appearing.

Bastet blushed a little from his comment. "…I suppose you could say that." She turned her attention back to the group assembled before her. "Now would you please explain why you were all gone when we came back and why you are all soaked to the bone?"

Oz quickly filled her in on the meeting with Tsunade. Bastet lost the happiness she had just been feeling, and Atem, though he knew very little about what was going on, grew serious, too. She expressed her sympathy for Faith, Sasuke, and Sakura, and hoped that all three would be alive and well. But they all knew the chances, so they said nothing more on the subject.

The others went to change after telling Bastet of their plans to spend the day. Naruto was left waiting for his Clone to come back, and he felt out of place around Atem and Bastet. At least they didn't know what he was.

"…So…what do you think of Konoha so far?" Naruto asked.

"It's very different from New York, but in a good way. I think I'll learn to like it here, even with all the demons lurking about," Atem replied. "At least it'll be more exciting and more accepting of me, if your reaction is anything to judge by."

"What do you mean by that?" Naruto wanted to know.

"…People tend to think that my hair is…weird," Atem told him.

Naruto grinned. "Not here, they won't! When you see some of the hair styles people in this country wear, you'll see that yours is one of the normal ones! You'll fit right in, Atem! And if you don't…I'll eat my headband!"

Atem smiled. "Now, you don't have to do anything _that_ drastic."

"Oh, eating my headband is far from drastic. Saying I would eat a kunai…now that's drastic. That could end badly from either end."

Just then, Naruto's Clone came in the door. He was wet from running to Naruto's home, but the clothes he carried were dry because he had used the umbrella on the way back. Naruto dismissed him and took his clothes into the bathroom to change, excusing himself from the presence of Atem and Bastet.

When all those that wanted to go to the club were dressed in dry clothes and had an umbrella at hand and money in their pockets, they set out. Xander and Naruto led the way, for Naruto knew Konoha and Xander was the one who mentioned it. They searched the dirt streets of Konoha until they came upon a peculiar building among all the other traditional buildings. It had been built recently, for Naruto could not remember seeing it before. It had a modern twist to it that put the Bronze to shame.

It was called Kurayami Gensou, or Dark Illusions in English.

Once they entered the doors, the group was greeted by loud music from a band playing on a stage in the far corner of the club. There was a bar and several tables scattered throughout the place, along with many video games. The lights were low and appeared to be black lights instead of the normal kind.

Xander spotted a Wii and Dance Dance Revolution, both of which he was a beast at playing. He paid the person at the entrance and ran off to have fun. The others followed him at a much slower pace, as they were grown up and didn't act like children. Only Naruto followed in the man's footsteps. All this was new to him and he wanted to learn how to work this stuff. It almost made Dawn laugh at how out of the loop Naruto and the rest of Konoha were when it came to technology.

Buffy, Spike, Angel, and Anya hit the bar for drinks, for they weren't much for games. Willow, Tara, and Dawn hit the dance floor to get lost in the beat of the music with a hundred other people. Atem went to watch Naruto, whom he had taken a liking to in the sense that he was like a younger brother, and also to make sure the blonde didn't get into any trouble. That left Bastet and Oz standing near the entrance, undecided as to what they should do.

"…Hey, Bastet…This might sound crazy, but…would you like to dance with me?" Oz asked, a little nervous about asking the question.

"…I…I don't know…" Bastet stammered, glad the lighting hid her red face.

"Come on, Bastet. We didn't come here just to stand around," Oz remarked just as the band started playing a slow song. "Sometimes, you've just gotta take a leap of faith."

Bastet smiled. "All right then."

Oz took Bastet by the hand and led her onto the dance floor. Then they wrapped their arms around each other and got lost in the music and each other's eyes, too happy by the presence of the other to remember the horrors of the world. Everything else seemed to fade away, like it didn't exist. The only things that remained were the music, Bastet, and Oz.

"Those two love each other and they're too afraid to admit it," Willow said with a smile as she and Tara danced.

"Yeah, it's kinda like me and you…when we first met," Tara agreed.

"Great. Now everyone will have someone in their life except me. I'm always going to be the loner, aren't I? It's not fair," Dawn complained. She wasn't dancing at the moment.

"Well, there's always that Shikamaru fellow. You guys seemed to have hit it off that night when you were hitting the books," Tara remarked.

Dawn blushed. "I don't like him like that! He's my friend!"

"Whatever you say, Dawnie," Willow muttered with a grin.

Atem happened to glance over at his sister and her dance partner and smiled, happy to see her happy for once in her life. Then his attention was stolen by Naruto as the boy slipped on the Dance Dance Revolution mat and fell on his face. Xander was kicking his butt.

Buffy also noticed the dancing couple and rolled her eyes, drinking some alcohol beverage she had ordered. There was only one man she could love, but their love was forbidden because he had a soul. And Spike, no matter how interested in her he was, would never get her. She hated him too much. At least, that's what she kept telling herself. At least the werewolves got to be happy.

"Look at Xander over there, playing that stupid game like he's a stupid child. I'm his fiancée. Shouldn't he be spending time with me instead of spending time with the demon boy and the guy with the weird hair? I mean, it's not like either of them pleasure him when he really wants it. He should be over here getting drunk with his woman, not being a stupid gamer," Anya muttered, drinking out of a bottle of brandy she had gotten.

"He's having fun with friends. Can't he get away from you every now and then? Even couples need some time away from one another," Buffy stated.

"…Oh, you mean like you and Angel?" Anya countered.

"Yeah, but in this case, they need a lot of time away from each other, or lil' Angel will kill people," Spike told her.

"Spike, shut up," Buffy and Angel grumbled at the same time.

The song changed again to a faster-paced tune, but Bastet and Oz didn't leave the dance floor. They just changed the way they were dancing. But Bastet sensed something was wrong, smelled something familiar that she didn't like. It made her slow down until she stopped and earned her the questioning gaze of Oz.

"What's wrong, Bastet?" Oz wanted to know.

She saw the cause for her feeling. The remaining two members of the werewolf gang that had turned her had seen her and were making their way through the dancers towards her. Quickly, Bastet grabbed Oz's hand and pushed her way to the edge of the dance floor, trying to put distance between her and the gang. Her friends out there noticed her worried expression and watched her carefully in case there really was something wrong.

The gang was faster than Bastet. They met her and Oz when they escaped the frenzy. She gulped and backed up, not letting go of Oz as she did so. One had short black hair and green eyes with a hard pale face. The other, slightly taller than his friend, had long black hair and equally dark eyes with a rounded face. They were almost opposites. They both wore black muscle shirts, black pants, and black boots, as was the ensemble of their gang.

"Well, well. It looks like today's our lucky day. The boss's beauty has come to our club to see us. Too bad the boss died because of her new friends," the one with the long hair sneered.

"That means we get to have her to ourselves without him interfering," the short one said.

"So come along now, sweet Bastet. It's time to join the people who made you what you are today," the tall one stated, reaching out to grab Bastet.

Bastet hissed and slapped his hand away. "I'm not going with you, Daisuke. You and Haru can jump off the side of this building for all I care. I'm not going anywhere with you monsters."

Daisuke chuckled. "You hear that, Haru? She actually thinks she has a choice."

Haru laughed. "Stupid girl. There's never a choice when you mess with the werewolf gang. You're going to come with us one way or another. So, are we gonna do this the easy way or the hard way where we have to beat you up?"

"When will you dumbasses get it through your thick skulls that I don't like you and that I won't go anywhere with you? I'm staying here with Oz and you stupid boys are going to walk away and act like this never happened. Now go on. You disgust me with your presence," Bastet growled. "Come on, Oz. Let's get back to what we were doing before these mutts bothered us."

Bastet turned to leave with Oz, but Daisuke grabbed her arm. She went to slap him. He and Haru pushed something on the sides of the collars she hadn't noticed them wearing, and suddenly an animal-like gleam was in their eyes. Daisuke's nails turned to claws, digging into Bastet's arm. She screamed from the pain as she pulled her arm away from him; that was enough to alert her friends that she was in trouble.

The boys began to turn into their dark werewolf forms despite the fact it was day and there wasn't a full moon. People noticed their transformation and screamed, running for the exit. The band stopped playing and joined the run. Buffy and the others readied themselves to fight. Oz pushed Bastet away as the men fully became their werewolf selves, ready to kill without feeling any remorse about it. Their eyes were fixed on Bastet, who quivered under their gaze. Oz and Atem, who had come over when he saw the threat posed to his sister, moved protectively in front of her.

Willow cast a spell as the werewolves lunged, freezing them in mid-jump. They fought back against the spell, and each mental blow they sent towards Willow made the spell that much weaker. Buffy pulled out the silver dagger she never left home without, which was right next to Mr. Pointy (her stake), and launched herself at the boys. They broke free of Willow's spell just seconds before the silver could enter Daisuke's chest. But as he was jumping when the spell froze him, he was still jumping and he rammed himself right into the silver dagger. He collapsed to the ground, shifting back into his human form only without the clothes.

Haru kicked his massive paws out in front of him and knocked Buffy onto her back. Spike and Angel, who were also wielding blades of silver, jumped into action upon seeing their love hit the floor. They both launched themselves at Haru, but the wolf cackled and hit them back like they were toys. He launched himself at Angel, seeing him as the weakest of his opponents. Angel rolled out of the way just in time and managed to scratch Haru with his silver weapon.

The black werewolf howled from his injury, mad that he had managed to get hurt. He fixed his angry golden gaze on Oz. He remembered that he was the man Bastet liked the most. If Haru was going to die, he wanted to make sure Bastet would not be happy. So, knocking his three attackers away one last time, he charged at the other werewolf, teeth bared and ready to rip flesh. Bastet screamed as the running wolf came closer, wishing she could save Oz but knew that was impossible because there was no full moon.

Haru never reached Oz.

A silver bolt shot itself into Haru's heart, killing him instantly. The wolf collapsed to the ground as he began to change back into his human form, only lacking the clothes he had been in before. Everyone glanced around to see who had shot Haru with the crossbow and was shocked to see Atem holding the weapon.

"You should always come prepared for the worst," Atem said calmly, sliding the crossbow back into his jacket where he had hid it in the first place.

Angel's cell phone rang, as did Willow's. Both answered and the others waited impatiently for the news about Faith, Sasuke, and Sakura.

The dark-haired vampire hung up first. His expression was not promising.

"…She's dead. Cops found her on the streets with a knife in the chest. Appears that whoever got her attacked from a distance so she wouldn't know they were there," Angel informed them.

"So…that's one Slayer down. Two more to go," Buffy murmured.

"Won't another Slayer be awakened because of Faith's death?" Dawn asked.

"Yeah, that is how things work. If Buffy hadn't been brought back and it was just Sakura and Faith, then there would only always be two Slayers. But with the order of things really messed up like it is, there will always be three Slayers from now until the end of time…or an apocalypse," Angel explained.

"We'll have to figure out who the new Slayer is before anything happens to her, and then we'll train her just like we trained Sakura," Tara stated.

Willow put her phone up and looked at the others. "…I have good news…and I have bad news…Good news is, Tsunade was able to repair Sakura's damaged tissue. Her heart's back to normal and her life isn't in jeopardy. Tsunade thinks she'll be fine. The bad news…Sasuke isn't going to pull through. He's gone into cardiac arrest twice already. His heart's failing, and he doesn't have enough blood in his veins. They've got so many machines on him…It's not worth prolonging the inevitable. They're going to pull the plug on him when they get permission from Kakashi, since he's his sensei and Sasuke doesn't have any family members left."

Everyone was stunned, but no one was more upset by her words than Naruto. The boy had been rivals, friends, and comrades with Sasuke ever since they were in the Academy. They had grown close as members of Squad Seven, saving each other's ass whenever they could. Life without Sasuke would be like life without Sakura…impossible.

"…Can…can't Tsunade do something? She has healing powers. Surely she can find a way to save Sasuke." Naruto heard the tremor and desperation in his voice, and it was then that he realized how close to tears he was over the fact that Sasuke Uchiha was about to pass into the void.

"Tsunade said there was nothing anyone could do. The injuries Orochimaru caused… well, they were just bite marks. The real damage came when the vampire sucked out his blood. Medic nin can't replace blood like they can replace skin…Sasuke's not going to survive the loss of blood," Willow said quietly. "Best case is that he just dies and Orochimaru's attempt of turning him into a vampire failed. Worst case is that he succeeds and Sasuke comes back a monster that we have to kill. I'm sorry for your loss, Naruto."

The blonde burst into tears; he couldn't hold it in anymore. Willow pulled him into a hug, trying to comfort him even though she knew it was futile. The others just stood around silently to respect Naruto's grief, ignoring the bodies of the gang that had just been killed by them not that long ago.

**Twelve Hours Before Sakura Woke Up…**

Kakashi sighed morosely as the medic nin Tsunade had sent to him conveyed the Hokage's message. It grieved him more than he was willing to admit to hear that one of his students was going to die, especially since that student was Sasuke. He would have been as sad if it was Naruto or Sakura in his place. However, it seemed a little bit more tragic because Sasuke was the last of his clan, the epic Uchiha clan born with the Sharingan Eye. If Kakashi didn't hate Orochimaru before this, he absolutely despised him now.

He knew delaying it would only waste time and money and make it worse for those who would grieve the death of Sasuke Uchiha. It was better to get it over with as soon as possible. But Kakashi was reluctant to give the order. Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto had been the first students to pass his test and make it onto his squad. They had become like a family to him. To lose one would hurt just as much as losing a sibling or child. And even though Orochimaru had thrust the blade in Sasuke's direction, it would be Kakashi that would deliver the death blow. He didn't know if he could live with that on his conscience, even if it really wasn't his fault Sasuke was in this situation.

_Naruto's probably already bawling over this if he is really with those foreigners Sakura trains with,_ Kakashi thought without humor._ ...Of us all, she's the lucky one. She doesn't have to deal with the pain right now. By the time Sakura wakes up...Sasuke will be dead or a vampire that Buffy has staked. Sure, she'll cry just like the rest of us, but her pain will be less...Or not. She did love Sasuke, after all. Maybe she won't be so lucky._

"…You have my permission," Kakashi muttered, not looking at the medic nin standing on his doorstep in the rain.

**Eleven Hours Before Sakura Woke Up…**

Sasuke felt all the machines that had been hooked up to him turn off. He was far from conscious, as what Orochimaru had done had made it impossible to be awake without screaming out in pain. Also, the lack of blood prevented him from so much as opening his eyes. All he saw was darkness. But he was somewhat aware of what had happened to him since he had blacked out in Willow's arms, and when there was no sound of the humming machines that had been there to keep him alive, he knew Tsunade had given up on him and he was not going to leave that hospital room with his heart still beating.

Breathing was next to impossible now. His heart raced without him meaning for it to. It felt like he was engaged in a battle to the death even though he was motionless on the bed, and in a sense, his body wasn't far off. Sasuke was indeed in a battle to the death, but it was against Death itself. This was one battle he knew he had no chance of winning, and yet his body wanted to fight. It was only natural that he reacted this way. He was, after all, only human.

Thoughts and memories flashed in his mind as he thought about who he had become and what he had yet to achieve. Most of his childhood had been forgotten; the majority of his memories were with Squad Seven…his family. Then he thought of how he had never succeeded in his lifelong goal: to kill his brother. There was another thing he had neglected to accomplish before he laid on his deathbed, but that was something he was too embarrassed to admit to himself.

Death began to rattle his body uncontrollably. Sasuke felt the wind get knocked out of him, and it reminded him of the way Itachi had so easily hurt him in the two battles they had been in…once when he was a child and another a bit more recently. Itachi and Death were just alike when it came to taking someone's life. They were anything but merciful.

_...Sakura...I'm sorry...I love you...,_ Sasuke thought as he took his last breath.

**Ten Hours, Forty-Five Minutes Before Sakura Woke Up…**

Sasuke's eyes flashed opened with an animalistic gleam now present in them. The nurse who had been moving him onto a gurney to be taken to the morgue screamed upon seeing him wake up. The veins in her neck caught his attention, and he couldn't stop himself from lunging at her and sinking his teeth into her flesh. He gorged himself on her blood until there was no more. Her limp body fell to the floor.

The death weighed heavily on his chest despite the fact he had no soul. Or he assumed he had no soul. He felt nothing where he once had emotions. But the urge to devour everything with a heartbeat was overwhelming. Sasuke had no time to worry about the death of the nurse. She had been small with not enough blood to sate his hunger. He needed to find someone else to feed on quickly.

His sensitive hearing picked up the sound of people heading towards his room. They weren't as weak as the nurse he had just drained. Their hearts beat of strength and skill. Sasuke knew he couldn't defeat them easily and decided it would be better if he escaped the hospital to look for weaker prey. He turned to the window, smirking when he saw it was raining without the sun to beat down on him. He wouldn't die today. Not again.

He crashed through the glass just as two masked ANBU entered the room. Sasuke landed on the ground like he had just made a small leap even though it was a five-story drop and was gone before the ANBU could pursue him.

**Back To Sakura, Buffy, and Spike…**

Sakura had burst into tears upon hearing that Sasuke had died and her tears had only gotten worse when she discovered he was a vampire. Buffy continued to tell her how she had attempted to hunt down Sasuke so that they might be able to give him a soul (Willow still had the spell that had cursed Angel the second time), but he had managed to allude her and the others while leaving a trail of bodies behind. Spike kept quiet for the most part; this situation didn't need his humorous inputs. He cared very little about the fate of Sasuke, but he cared somewhat for the feelings of Sakura. They had fought together and she got her injury saving his life. He would have to be a monster not to care for her after that.

"…How many…has he killed?" Sakura whimpered.

"I don't think you're ready to hear it," Buffy said not unkindly.

"Just tell me. I'm a big girl…I'm the Slayer. I've lost my parents and survived that…I can handle hearing about…the monster in the guise…of…my crush, Sasuke…" Sakura sobbed. "Don't give me special treatment…just because of my feelings."

"…He's killed five men, three women, and ten children," Spike murmured.

Sakura's tears came harder than before. "Oh, Sasuke! My Sasuke-kun has become a monster! Why? Why did that bastard do this to him? Now he's killing children!"

"…It's not his fault. The hunger of a newborn vampire is nearly endless. It overwhelms them and throws them into an animalistic frenzy. They keep hunting and hunting until they can't swallow any more blood. Then they find somewhere to hide while they adjust to the changes. It's easier on them if their sire is still around to show them what's what, and I would know. That was the case for me," Spike told her. "But no matter what, you have to remember this. Sasuke is not responsible for his actions."

"…No. Of course not. He…he no longer has his soul…" Sakura whispered.

"We've only got two options. We can capture him and try to restore his soul so he'll be almost as he once was. If that fails or we can't capture him…we're going to have to stake him so he doesn't hurt any more people," Buffy informed Sakura.

"…I understand…" Sakura murmured.

Then, without warning, Sakura leapt from her bed and crashed through the window, ignoring the shards of glass that cut her and the impact of the fall when her feet finally touched the ground. She took off to find Sasuke, the rain still falling and now caressing her with its wet embrace.

_I'm coming, Sasuke. And if anyone has to destroy the monster you've turned into, then it will be me,_ Sakura thought, using her Slayer speed to get a good distance between her and the hospital, where she knew Buffy and Spike would take off from to catch her.

* * *

_A/N: Long chapter, and it has ended. What did you think? Please tell me. Thank you for reading._


	15. Chapter 15

_A/N: I'm starting to think this is a dead story due to the lack of reviews. But I'm one of those people that can't stop something until it's finished or I lack the motivation to do it. So I'll continue with this story for now. Please read on.

* * *

_

Chapter 15

Sakura kept running without slowing for a second, desperate to find Sasuke before anyone else. They were going to kill him. She had to save him, or risk her life trying. She wouldn't die for him; even for Sasuke, she wouldn't go that far. Maybe if he was still human, but he wasn't anymore. Orochimaru had made sure of that. And to think, he might have done the same thing to Sakura had she not kicked Kabuto's ass. He would have taken her to that bastard, and then she would have either died or become a vampire. That would have sucked…literally.

She couldn't picture Sasuke as a violent killer or a vampire, no matter how hard she tried. The closest image she could get to that was during the Chuunin exams when he had awoken to find her beaten and bruised and then attacked Zaku. He pulled the guy's arms right out of the sockets, and he probably would have killed Dosu, the other Sound nin there that was conscious, had Sakura not stepped in and stopped him. Sasuke had been under the evil influence of Orochimaru at the time…the weird designs on his body were evidence enough of that. But he would never kill unless it was necessary…At least, the Sasuke she knew wouldn't have.

The new Sasuke wasn't so kind.

He was killing _children_…

He was a _monster_…

He had _no soul_…

But under that, she was sure the old Sasuke was lying in wait, and he just needed the right persuasion to come out. Not all vampires were evil. Spike was somewhat proof of that. He had no soul, but he was fighting on their side. If he didn't have that chip in his head, things might be different. Then again, he loved Buffy, so maybe not. But if Spike could be good, then why couldn't Sasuke?

She stopped running when she came upon the body of a girl younger than her. Her brown eyes were still opened wide, but she no longer had a heartbeat. Blood appeared at the surface of two puncture wounds in her neck, and that was the only sign of how she had died. Sakura sighed morosely and closed the girl's eyelids so she wouldn't have to look at them anymore. Cautiously, she pulled her stake from her kunai holster and ran forward, knowing Sasuke was near. Her plan was to confront him, see how far gone he was, and if there was no chance of saving or capturing him, then she would have no choice but to stake him so he couldn't kill any more people.

_Sasuke-kun...I'm coming for you,_ Sakura thought.

* * *

The body of the Jounin dropped limply to the ground after he had no more blood to give. Sasuke was amazed he had been able to catch the man offguard; he was but a Genin and the man outranked and out-skilled him with ease. Perhaps being the undead made him stealthier than he could have imagined. At least it helped to keep him away from those that would do him harm.

He knew the foreigners and his fellow ninja were after him. He recognized their scent whenever they came around. Buffy's was the hardest to register, for she smelled more like death than life. He assumed that was because she had died twice and was brought back both times, although she took awhile coming back the second time. Naruto was a frequent scent in the air, and he wished he could just appear to the blonde and talk instead of running from him. They had been friends in life. But the blonde knucklehead wanted to capture him and put his soul back in, just like the others. Sasuke wouldn't have minded that too much, but vampire instinct kept him on the run and made him want to kill whoever wanted to curse him.

One scent he hadn't come across since fleeing the hospital was Sakura's. Even in life, he knew her smell well. She smelled of lavender and lilacs, which was probably due to the shampoo she used; she smelled of strength and pride; but most of all, she smelled of love. He had missed that scent ever since death had separated them, and he was beginning to think that maybe she had passed away the same day he had become a vampire. When he could, he snuck into the main part of the village and looked around for her, but she was nowhere to be found.

Sasuke sighed and sat on the branch of a tree. His endless thirst for blood had finally been sated with the blood of the Jounin. He knew not who that man had been, but his blood was powerful and kept Sasuke from wanting to hunt someone else. It was then that the Uchiha really took the time to consider where he was. To his surprise, he was in a tree near the bridge that Squad Seven always met at before training or missions. The bridge was empty, but he could almost see his squad standing there. Naruto, going on about how he was going to surpass Sasuke and become the best ninja in the world. Kakashi, reading his perverted book while explaining what technique they would be learning that day. Himself, leaning against the railing of the bridge and wondering about how he was going to get stronger. And Sakura, going off on Naruto and then staring at him with love in her eyes…her beautiful green eyes.

Kami, he missed her. He didn't know vampires could feel anything, but he did and he really missed Sakura. Sasuke would have given anything to see her again, and would have given twice that much to see her alive.

Why did it have to rain so much? It hadn't stopped raining since before he had died. It was like the sky itself wanted Konoha to be miserable. Sasuke had been happy for the rain when he was a murderous animal that needed to escape the hospital, but now he wasn't so appreciative of it. He was drenched and had he still had a heartbeat, he would have been really cold. But the undead had no warmth and therefore couldn't feel cold on the outside. On the inside, however, was a different story.

The wind changed directions and blew straight towards him. With it came a scent that he had been yearning for. He almost thought he had imagined it at first, but then he looked down at the bridge again and would have felt his heart skip a beat had it been working.

Sakura was standing there in the rain, pink hair blowing against her face. Her red dress had dried blood on it near her chest, and there was a small tear in it from where she had been injured during the fight two nights ago. No one had bothered to change her clothes while she lay comatose on the hospital bed. She didn't shiver even though the rain was cold and her arms were bare and she was soaked through. She held a wooden stake in her right hand, and her beautiful green eyes were fixed on him.

He couldn't tell if she was crying or not because of the rain, but all he saw in her eyes was sadness. That sadness made him jump down from his branch and approach her, cautious of where he stepped because of the weapon she held in her hand. She watched his every movement, but did not move one inch herself.

"…Sakura, where have you been? I've looked everywhere for you," Sasuke said quietly.

She pursed her lips and looked a bit reluctant to reply. "…I was in the hospital. Kabuto injured me and severed my heart. He would have attacked Spike, but I saved the jackass by nearly dying. If you had gone back to the hospital, you probably would have found me."

"…So…you know what happened to me, then?" Sasuke asked.

"You mean, about Orochimaru getting his ass kicked by you and then breaking through Willow's spells to make you a monster that kills children? Yeah, I know. Buffy and Spike filled me in on everything when I woke up this morning," Sakura replied.

Sasuke winced. He didn't like hearing about what he had done in his animalistic frenzy, especially the part about killing children. "…I'm…I'm sorry…"

"…Sorry, huh? I…I don't think sorry is gonna bring back the lives you've taken…or the pain you've caused so many people. I know it's not all your fault that you're like this… it's Orochimaru's doing. But I…I can't just forget that you've killed people. Even my feelings for you can't block out the bad things you have done. In fact, all feelings aside, I can't see why you're not attacking me now. You killed a Jounin, an elite ninja. What's to stop you from killing a mere Genin?" Sakura wondered.

"I can't kill you. And I wouldn't even if it were possible," Sasuke told her.

"Why can't you kill me? You killed eight-year-olds," Sakura pointed out.

"…It's different. I didn't know them. I didn't know any of the people I killed. But you…I know you…and I…" Sasuke trailed off, unable to admit his feelings.

"Sasuke, you have two options right now. Either you can give yourself up and let Willow give you your soul back, or we'll have to stake you. I would prefer it if you would go with the first choice, but…I will not hesitate to put the second one into action. The choice is yours to make, Sasuke-kun. Choose wisely, or choose painfully," Sakura stated.

"Sakura, you…you wouldn't really kill me…would you?"

"If I had no other choice…I would."

"…If I promised to not kill any more humans, and to only take the blood of animals, would you let me go?"

Sakura shook her head. "I can't take any chances or give you any special treatment. I'm already pushing the rules by trying to get you a soul. That goes against everything Slayers are trained to do. You know your choices. Now choose already. Don't make this any harder for us than it already is."

"…But Sakura…I'm…afraid…"

That seemed to take Sakura by surprise. "Afraid? Of what?"

"…I'm not sure exactly. But all I know…is that every time Buffy and the others come to capture me…I feel like running and hiding. It's not normal for me. Sasuke Uchiha, the avenger, is not supposed to be afraid of anything. But I fear them…and I fear you."

"…Why? Why do you fear me?"

"Sakura, you're the Slayer. It's natural for the supernatural to be afraid of you. And…there's another reason…but I cannot say what it is. Sakura, I am full of evil, not just because I am a vampire, but also because Orochimaru has placed his curse mark on me. Would Kami allow a soul to come back to one so tainted by evil? I think not. The only solution to all of this…is if you stake me. Just do it now so I'm no threat to anyone anymore. I don't want to hurt people anymore."

He heard Sakura's heart skip a beat, which was surprising to him. He knew she had come here to either capture or kill him, but apparently, she had been hoping beyond hope that maybe he would come with her. Perhaps she had never intended to use her stake on him. He could only imagine the emotional turmoil she was in at that moment. He himself was conflicted. Part of him was screaming for him to take it back, to take Sakura in his arms and say that he would go with her. Another part was screaming for him to kill her. But he was ignoring both parts and following the only road that wouldn't lead to more death by his hands…or fangs.

The pink-haired Slayer seemed to reach a decision. She walked over to Sasuke, closing in the small gap he had left between them, holding her stake at the ready. He closed his eyes and waited for her to stab him in the heart with the piece of wood. He felt tears slip out from under his eyelashes to mix with the rain, and he mentally cursed himself for not telling her how he felt before this. It was too late now.

He heard the sound of wood clattering on the bridge.

Sasuke opened his eyes to see that Sakura had dropped the stake. Her hand was posed over his chest, as if she still had the weapon, but her face betrayed it all. Now he was sure she was crying. She shook her head slowly and refused to meet his gaze.

"…I can't kill you, Sasuke-kun. I could never kill you…" Sakura murmured. "…I love you too much…"

She went to pull away from him, perhaps to turn around and leave him alone. Sasuke grabbed her hand, the one she was going to stake him with, and turned her towards him again. He pulled her harder than he had expected; her body crashed right into his with her bosom right up against his chest. Her eyes were wide from her shock, and he himself felt a little foolish. She probably thought he was going to bite and kill her. But he could never do that.

He kissed her before it was too late.

She stiffened at first, but he had expected that. Her lips were silk-smooth and very responsive once she realized it wasn't a trap and he was actually kissing her to be kissing her. They went into a very, very passionate kiss in the rain right there. They were supposed to be mortal enemies, he was supposed to be cold-hearted, she was supposed to be hard at heart, and yet they were kissing.

"…Sasuke…" Sakura whispered when they finally pulled away from one another. "Let's go home…You're filthy, and I'm wet. And it seems…we've got a lot to talk about."

* * *

"You know what I've come to realize since we got here? The more we stay around Sakura and her friends, the more like us they become," Xander remarked. They were at the house, and Naruto and Kakashi were with them. The other squads were still training.

"How do you figure?" Naruto asked.

"Well, Buffy's the Slayer, Sakura's the Slayer. Oz is a werewolf, Bastet and Rock Lee are werewolves. Willow and Tara are witches, Ino's a witch. Spike and Angel are vampires, Sasuke's a vampire. Anya's a demon, you have one in you. Giles is a Watcher, Rukio is a Watcher. See? You guys are all becoming like us. Maybe it's a curse or something. Wherever we go, people become just like us. Watch out, Kakashi. You might turn into some crazy hyena demon thing and eat us, cuz that happened to me in high school," Xander warned.

Kakashi rolled his eye. "I doubt that it will happen again without some magical help."

"…Buffy and Spike should have been back by now. What do you think is keeping them?" Dawn inquired.

"Sakura jumped out of a window and ran to find Sasuke," Angel told her, as he had just been on the phone with Buffy a few minutes ago. "They haven't been able to find either person yet, but they found a couple of dead bodies and Sakura's stake around this bridge in the middle of the forest."

"That sounds like the bridge we used to meet on every morning," Naruto muttered.

"I hope they'll be okay. Sakura's a tough girl, but we all know how she feels about Sasuke. He could use that against her and kill her when she least expects it. Then again, he isn't a bad person or bad vamp. Compared to other vampires we've faced, he's barely killed anyone," Willow said.

"But he has killed. And children at that," Tara pointed out.

"But he wasn't in control when he did that. If vampires are anything like werewolves, when you first become the monster, all you can do is kill and feed. It takes some time for you to get used to what you are. It took me two nights and two mornings where I woke up in the streets of Konoha without clothes on before I knew there was something seriously wrong with me," Bastet stated. "We can't hold Sasuke accountable for what he has been doing now. We can only hold him accountable for things he does when he knows what he is and what he's capable of."

"…Can we please not talk about him? It's upsetting Naruto," Atem put in quietly.

Sure enough, Naruto was more down and depressed than he had been in a long time. Even when he was younger and the other kids weren't allowed to play with him, he had never been so down. He never knew that his rival-turned-friend's death and vampiric transformation could have such an affect on him. Kakashi wasn't any better off, but at least he could hide his emotions behind his mask. Naruto wasn't so lucky. At least Atem seemed to understand his feelings towards the Sasuke issue and made sure people didn't speak so much about it in front of him. He was a true friend.

"…Thanks, Atem. I appreciate you sticking up for me," Naruto murmured, giving his friend a small grin which the teen returned.

"What about the new Slayer? Shouldn't we be trying to find her while Sakura is AWOL? The more Slayers we have, the better, right?" Dawn wanted to know.

"Willow already did a locator spell. The new Slayer is here in Konoha already. We were going to wait until Buffy and Sakura returned before we went out to find her, but under the current circumstances, I think it would be best if I went to her alone," Angel told her.

"…If she's native to Konoha, I don't think you should approach her alone," Kakashi grumbled. "The girl's probably a ninja just like Sakura, so she won't be trusting of a stranger who just comes up to her. If you're unlucky enough, she might even stake you. I'll accompany you so she doesn't think you're a freak."

"Well, if you insist, I guess I have no choice but to accept your offer," Angel said. "The spell is still somewhat active. It should lead us right to her. So let's go before things get too dicey and vampires decide to come out and play."

* * *

Hinata stopped training for a moment to catch her breath. What Squad Eight was learning right now wasn't easy, and it was taking its toll on her. Kiba and Shino weren't having as much trouble as she was with it, but they were struggling on their own accord. Kurenai just watched them, giving them clues every now and then, but otherwise she just stood there quietly.

It would have been so much easier to focus if she didn't keep seeing an orange glow out of the corner of her eye. It was on her; she had found that out by activating Byakugan and checking out her surroundings. There was no inkling as to why it was there or if she was just imagining it, as her squad members were too busy to tell her if it was really there and not in her head. Even Kurenai was busy with her eyes peeled to the boys, particularly Shino who looked as if he might be the first to master the technique. Hinata closed her eyes to ignore the orange light before continuing with her training.

"All right. I think that's enough for today," Kurenai told her students. Shino had screwed up at the end, and she was tired of standing in the rain. "We'll meet back here tomorrow."

Then she disappeared.

Kiba growled and punched a nearby tree. "It's not fair! We have to train every day! But Squad Seven hasn't trained in days! They've been slacking off!"

"What do you mean, Kiba?" Hinata asked, concerned because it was Naruto's squad.

"What I mean is I've heard rumors about Squad Seven. They haven't been training like most of the other squads. I don't know all the details, but somehow Sakura and Sasuke landed in the hospital and Tsunade's been giving them free days ever since. Basically, we're busting our asses while Naruto and Kakashi are sleeping in! Well, it will only hurt Squad Seven in the end, cuz when the Chuunin exams come 'round again, we're gonna kick their asses to Kingdom Come!" Kiba exclaimed. Akamaru barked in agreement.

"Now Kiba, I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation for their lack of training. Tsunade wouldn't be so lenient unless there was," Shino muttered in monotone.

"Whatever, man! It's totally obvious why Tsunade gave them the get-out-of-training-free card! She and Kakashi Hatake are doing things behind the scenes! He's a freeloader, anyone can see that!" Kiba claimed.

"I'm what now?"

Kiba nearly jumped ten feet in the air when Kakashi appeared behind him. Angel was with him, but he kept his distance. Hinata looked at him with her lavender eyes and wondered who he was and why he looked so different. He was looking at her and it was then that she was sure the orange glow wasn't just her imagination. Somehow, he had put it on her…or someone he knew did.

"Quit apologizing, Kiba," Kakashi ordered after five minutes of Kiba's apologetic ranting. "Hinata, a friend of mine and I need to fill you in on some things. Please come with me and Angel."

"Wait! If you and Tsunade aren't doing things, then why hasn't your squad been training?" Kiba demanded.

"…Because Sakura was mortally injured…and Sasuke was killed," Kakashi replied.

That shut Kiba up.

Hinata's eyes widened. She couldn't believe that so much tragedy could have struck Squad Seven so quickly. And poor Naruto was stuck in the middle, watching his friends die around him. She hoped he was all right. She glanced over at Kiba, who looked likewise shocked, and Shino, whose expression was unreadable, before walking over to Kakashi and the strange man from another place.

"Hinata, be careful," Shino said suddenly, as if he could sense something she couldn't.

His words were as cryptic as always. She would find out what he meant in time. Kakashi and Angel led her away from her squad towards a hovel not too far away. She was glad to be out of the rain at last, although her clothes were soaked through by now and there would be no avoiding wetness at the moment. Hinata looked at Angel again, only this time it was with Byakugan. She could detect no life energy in him.

"…What…what's going on? Why…why do you have no life energy…and why…why is there an orange glow on me?" Hinata stammered, officially freaked now.

"…The reason I have no life energy…is because technically, I'm not alive. I'm the living dead…a vampire with a soul," Angel told her. "And as to the orange glow part…a friend of mine cast a spell to locate the third Slayer. Hinata Hyuuga, you are the Slayer."

* * *

Sakura had left Sasuke at the Uchiha mansion before heading back to her home. The house had been fixed up from the attack that had ended with her parents' deaths by those Faceless Demons, but she still didn't like to be in that place anymore. It brought back too many painful memories not just of her parents, but of Sasuke, too. She changed out of her wet dress with the blood and into an identical clean one as quickly as possible, grabbed an umbrella, and rushed back towards the Uchiha mansion.

Sasuke was waiting for her at the door, dressed in the same clothes he had worn during the final part of the Chuunin exams.

It still amazed her that he loved her, that he was a vampire, and that he was somewhat afraid of her. What really made her brain hurt was that he was being good without his soul even though he had been turned into a vampire not even twenty-four hours ago. Sasuke was just one big enigma now. As if he wasn't confusing enough when he was just human.

They didn't stay at the Uchiha mansion; they were too restless to stay in one place. So Sakura shared her umbrella and they went walking in the rain. She tried to keep him away from people lest he lose control again, but for the most part he was decent. They talked about things, mostly about Sasuke and his issues, as they went along, and they hoped that Buffy and Spike wouldn't find them anytime soon. Sakura had never felt so close to Sasuke in her entire life, not even when he had awoken in the Chuunin exams and she had been the one to put his evil away.

She hadn't realized the sun had come out until Sasuke hissed because his arm had been caught in its dangerous rays. The gloomy clouds had finally decided to move on to another place and leave Konoha alone. Sakura was almost reluctant to see them go; the rain had been there to bring her and Sasuke together. Then again, the sun had been there before for her. She couldn't condone its presence…even if it did hurt Sasuke.

Buffy appeared then, as did Spike. He hid in the shadow of a building, for he did not want to be ashy. The blonde Slayer told them it was time to turn in and see if Willow could give Sasuke his soul back. Sakura looked up at Sasuke expectantly.

"Are you ready to stop running, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked.

He grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly. "As long as I have you, I'm ready for anything this world throws at me."

* * *

_A/N: End of chapter. What did you think? Please tell me. Thank you for reading._


	16. Chapter 16

_A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in forever. I lost motivation and lacked inspiration. Here's another chapter for your enjoyment. Please read on._

* * *

Chapter 16

Everyone stopped talking and stared when Buffy, Spike, and Sakura walked in with Sasuke. He was still clutching Sakura's hand; his grip was extremely tight. But she didn't complain, for she knew how scared he was and how hard this was for him. Besides, his grip just meant that he loved and trusted her enough to not run away. She would be his support during all of this. She was the only one who could.

Willow and Tara left the living room to get their spell stuff ready. All that was needed was an incantation that Willow had copied long ago, when Angel needed to get his soul back again. But someone would have to restrain Sasuke while she read the ancient texts, because like all demons, he would not want to be cleansed of his evil. The others kept their eyes on Sasuke as he moved with Sakura, Naruto the most intently focused on him. His friend was back, and it was Sakura that managed to bring him home. She was so amazing sometimes that Naruto was a little jealous.

Being near all those people with pulses was getting to Sasuke. The urge to break away and drain them of their blood was almost overwhelming. But he wouldn't do it. He wouldn't kill anyone ever again. His love for Sakura depended on it. Besides, if this spell worked, he wouldn't be able to kill anyone without feeling extremely guilty about it. He would be just like Angel, only his name wouldn't ever be that girly.

The witches returned; a piece of paper was in Willow's hand. Sakura glanced over expectantly, hoping this would work so her Sasuke-kun would be good forever.

"…I think we should do this in another room. So many living people in one room with a newborn vampire…it doesn't sound like a good combination to me," Willow said. "We don't want anyone to get hurt in case something goes terribly wrong. We should do the spell in my room. It'll be safer there."

Sakura nodded and led Sasuke away. Buffy and Spike followed as backup, just in case Sasuke lost control and Sakura couldn't contain him. The others stayed where they were; they were both afraid and concerned and didn't feel like getting closer to a newborn vampire. Naruto wanted to go with them, but Atem warned him that such a decision might be unwise. The blonde knew that the teen was probably right and forced himself to stay in the living room. This was not easy for him, but he knew it was probably a lot easier than what Sasuke was going through.

Buffy closed the door behind the group and stood near it in case Sasuke tried to get away. Spike stood next to Buffy, ready to help if the need came. The window blinds were pulled down for the vampires' sakes, and there was no way that Sasuke was going to try to escape that way. Willow sat cross-legged on her bed, the paper on her legs, ready to say the 'curse' and give Sasuke his soul back. Sakura was now holding Sasuke in her arms.

"…You might have to restrain him while I read this…His vampire instincts will be telling him to run," Willow warned, glancing over at Sakura. "And they will take over and he will do _anything_ to get away. Are you prepared to face that?"

"…For him, I would do _anything_," Sakura stated.

"Except die," Sasuke murmured. He didn't want her to die, especially not because of him.

"Of course, Sasuke. Of course," Sakura mumbled.

The pink-haired Slayer tightened her hold around the vampire, prepared for him to fight against her. She trusted him enough to not protect her throat. He saw that as foolish, but didn't have enough time to tell her that. Willow began to read the spell that was written in a foreign language, and there would be no disturbing the magical flow with words. He felt his vampire rage rise in him from the hatred of what she was going to do, and fighting against it proved futile. It took over him before he knew it. Sakura saw his face vamp out, felt him start struggling against her super-inhuman strength, saw him bare his razor-sharp fangs, but she didn't flinch or scream. Sasuke would be good again in a few minutes. It didn't matter what he looked like right then. He would be normal soon.

Buffy was surprised by Sakura's strength and courage. Even Buffy wouldn't have been able to look at soulless Angel like that and not flinch. She had been fighting Angel during the time he got his soul back. But to have to hold him while he tried to kill her…that would have been impossible. How Sakura could hold her ground and not even shed a tear was amazing. She wouldn't lose another person in her life, especially not Sasuke…again.

Willow finished the incantation. Sasuke's eyes turned gold for a moment, and in that moment, his face returned to normal and he stopped fighting Sakura. This was lucky on her part; he was just about to bite her neck. When the pink-haired Slayer was sure he wasn't going to hurt anyone, she let go of him. He fell to his knees, trembling a bit as he began to remember all the faces of those he had killed ever since he had become a vampire. This was a somewhat good thing, for it meant he had his soul again.

"You've got your soul back, boy. Now you're just like that fruity vamp Angel. And I'm the only badass 'round here anymore. What fun that'll be," Spike muttered. He turned to Sakura with a small smile on his lips. "And to think, cherry blossom. He did this whole thing for you…only for you…out of his bloody devotion and love for you."

"Yup. Guess it is possible for the unholy to have hearts," Sakura remarked, returning his smile.

Suddenly, Sakura felt an excruciating pain in her head, like a really bad migraine times a thousand. She collapsed to her knees beside Sasuke, clutching her head in her hands. And despite his own pain, Sasuke reached out to her in hopes of easing her pain. It didn't work, of course, and she barely noticed his touch. The other three people in the room gathered around, wondering what the hell was going on.

"Willow! What's happening to her?" Buffy wanted to know.

"…I…I'm not sure. This never happened any other time I read this. It certainly didn't happen when I put Angel's soul back," Willow stammered. "Someone must have tampered with it since we got here. But who?"

"There'll be time for figuring that out later! Right now, we need to find out what the bloody hell's happening to the cherry blossom!" Spike exclaimed.

Sakura's eyes flashed gold for a second, and as it did so, she realized what was happening. But it was too late to tell the others. She was gone before anything good could come of it, and replaced with something else. The pink-haired girl stood up and looked ahead, towards the window. There was no light in her eyes. They were dull without sight now.

"…Sakura…What's wrong with you?" Sasuke asked.

The girl didn't reply. Instead, she walked forward, being pulled by some invisible force. Buffy got in the way and tried to talk some sense into Sakura, but the pink-haired girl just pushed her aside and continued to walk. She pulled open the blinds, forcing Spike and Sasuke to seek the shadows, and then jumped through the window for the second time that day. Buffy jumped out after her, expecting the girl to run again, but the girl was still walking at a steady pace. There was no incline as to where she was going or who was drawing her out, but they would find out soon enough.

"Willow, I'm going to follow her. Whatever's happened to her because of your tampered spell, I bet whoever caused it is making her come to them. I'll call you if I learn anything, and I'll be back with Sakura in no time," Buffy told her redhead friend.

"You shouldn't go alone. Whoever did it managed to get into this house and tamper with my spell, and I always keep a ward on this place. Take some people with you in case this turns out to be bigger than you can handle," Willow insisted.

"Fine. Tell Naruto and Giles to come outside with me. Giles is smart, and Naruto knows some ninja skills. We might need him if there are ninja involved. And when Ino gets done with her training, send her after me. Call me when you do so she can find us," Buffy muttered. "Now hurry. We don't want to lose her, not when she's acting all soulless and is completely defenseless like this."

Willow hurried to do what Buffy had requested, closing the blinds as she left the window for Sasuke and Spike's safety. Sasuke had seen Sakura's eyes before she began to act strangely, and he believed he knew what was wrong with her. He looked at Spike.

"…She's lost her soul, Spike. That spell gave me mine back…and it somehow took hers away at the same time," Sasuke whispered, not liking it one bit. "The only person who would want her like that…is Orochimaru."

* * *

Angel and Kakashi had taken the time to explain everything to Hinata about what being the Slayer meant. It hadn't been easy; she had denied and rejected many things when she first heard them. But after two hours, give or take, of explaining, she finally realized they weren't lying and they were telling her the truth about who she was. Hinata was ready to fulfill her duty as Slayer, especially since she knew that she would get to see Naruto if she did so. He was a part of this vampire/demon hunting experience since Sakura was also the Slayer. Squad 7, Squad 10, and Team Gai were all part of this, and now finally, Squad 8 would be joining in.

The sun was out now, preventing Angel from moving into certain areas of the hovel. It helped to dry the wet Hinata, as had the time she had spent listening to sensei and vampire. But the sun was starting to lower its position in the sky, signaling that the day was near its end. With that came night, and night she started learning to slay and fight the unholy fiends of darkness. At least she wouldn't have to train so early tomorrow morning; when one worked so hard at night, they got to sleep in later.

Kakashi sighed. "All right, Kiba. You and Shino can come out now."

Hinata turned around to look where Kakashi had cast his one-eyed gaze. Kiba and Shino emerged from bushes, both covered in leaves because they were still kind of wet. Akamaru was likewise covered, and the poor dog shivered and sneezed.

_They were spying on us? Why?_ Hinata wondered. Kiba she could understand. He didn't like to miss out on things. But Shino wasn't really one to eavesdrop on things that were not his business. She assumed that Kiba had pulled him into it. And Kakashi had known the whole time and hadn't made them leave. She had no doubt that Angel knew they were hiding in the bushes as well. Why hadn't they sent her teammates away if slaying the unholy was supposed to be a secret?

"Heh. So you knew we were there, huh? Well, I guess that's to be expected from someone as skilled as you, Kakashi," Kiba grumbled, he and Shino walking under the hovel. "But why are you feeding Hinata these lies? You need to leave Hinata alone right now. Everyone knows there are not such things as vampires and werewolves and demons. Those are just mythical creatures created for the sole purpose of scaring little kids. Really, Kakashi. Did someone set you and your friend up for a prank or something?"

"…No one set us up for a prank, Kiba. Everything we've told Hinata is the truth," Kakashi stated.

"You'd like for us to believe that. But we're too smart to fall for such bullshit. Right, Shino?" Kiba inquired, glancing over at his buggy friend with the sunglasses.

"…It is not lies, Kiba. The man with dark hair and foreign clothes has no life," Shino commented, looking over at Angel hidden in shadow.

"How did he know that?" Angel asked Kakashi.

"The Aburame clan has a strong connection with bugs that feed off of chakra. That connection allows him to understand a person's chakra and life force. Don't be surprised if you have a few bugs on you right now," Kakashi explained.

"Gah! So you're falling for this crap, too? Shino, you're the smartest member of Squad 8! Surely you can see this isn't true! There aren't such things as vampires! There aren't werewolves or demons, either! Everything they've said is a lie! How come you and Hinata are falling for it? Do I have to beat some sense into the both of you in order to make you see what I do?" Kiba shouted, frustrated.

"Use your nose, Kiba. Certainly you can smell the two hundred years of death on Angel. I know I did the moment I met him," Kakashi told him.

"I don't take orders from men who lie!" Kiba growled.

"You know I'm not lying. That's why you're afraid to use your amazing sense of smell and see if Angel really is dead. In fact, you probably already got a whiff of him when he first came with me to see Hinata. You don't want to believe that there is something worse than ninja out there, waiting in the shadows of night for the perfect time to strike. The truth is, Kiba, that Konoha is sitting right on top of a Hellmouth and your worst nightmares are coming to life. Vampires, demons, werewolves…the whole nine yards. And you've just been put into a horror film where you have to fight to survive," Kakashi remarked.

Kiba fell silent. Hinata could see his internal struggle to believe what was true in his eyes and wished she could help him. But he had to do this all on his own. Belief wasn't something one could help another with.

"I seem to remember seeing something in the paper about a brutal attack on one of the Inuzuka clan's prized dogs. The dog was torn to shreds and not much was left of it when it was found. That was a werewolf attack, more than likely just a kid werewolf. It's probably still out there, looking like a human right now. But come a full moon night, and that kid will kill again," Angel told him, sticking his hand out into the sunlight. "Werewolves are bad, it's true. They are sometimes considered worse than vampires. I guess you were lucky the werewolf didn't kill anything more than that dog. But had a vampire come along that night…" Angel pulled his smoking hand out of the sun and vamped out his face to show Kiba just how long a vampire's fangs were, "…all of your clan probably wouldn't have survived to see the light of day."

Akamaru whimpered upon seeing Angel's horrific face and retreated into Kiba's jacket. Hinata could hardly blame him; seeing someone like that scared her half to death. Kiba was likewise frightened, but Shino's expression couldn't be read to tell if he was afraid. Angel's face returned to normal after a few seconds; his point had been made.

"Do you believe us now?" Angel asked.

Kiba didn't speak but the look in his eyes was answer enough. Then he croaked, "What can we do to keep these fiends away?"

"You'll have to slay them. But we must warn you now. No matter how many creatures you kill, there will always be more of them out in the world. You can't permanently wipe out vampires or werewolves or demons. But you can sure as hell lower their numbers," Kakashi said.

"Then…then that's what we'll do. We'll…we'll help Hinata be the Slayer."

Just then, Angel's cell phone rang. He pulled it out, read the caller ID, and answered it. The caller was Willow, and she had news that was a little bit less than distressing. Sasuke had gotten his soul back, but the spell had been tampered with and now Sakura was soulless. Whoever had changed the spell was now drawing her to them. Buffy and a small group of others were following the girl, but there was always a chance they wouldn't come back. Willow was just calling to warn him.

"I'll go after them. If ninja are involved, Naruto will need help facing them," Kakashi remarked when Angel relayed the news.

"Should we come with you?" Shino inquired.

"No. You have no idea how to fight vampires and the like. Go with Angel. He will take you to people who will show you everything you need to know. Go and learn," Kakashi ordered before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"How will we get there? The sun will turn you to ash," Hinata pointed out.

"It's low enough in the sky that I won't be burned. We should hurry before night falls. You three would not want to be caught offguard by undead fiends like me," Angel muttered. "Let's go now."

* * *

Buffy, Naruto, Giles, Ino, and Atem, who had insisted that he come as well, were following Sakura to the edge of Konoha. The sun was setting fast, and they were in the dark forests of the Leaf village. Already they had encountered a few outcast vampires who didn't belong anywhere; Atem's hidden crossbow made short work of them. Still, Sakura did not stop walking, though she did trip a few times because of her sightless eyes. Ino cast a spell that allowed her to see ahead, much like the Hyuuga clan's Byakugan, and she warned the group that there were some strong people ahead.

Their scents, heartbeats, and breathing were masked by one of her spells, which would grant them the ability to get closer to this rendezvous point. They had to take every precaution when it came to vampires and their enhanced senses. They stopped at the edge of a clearing and hid in the bushes, a good vantage point for them as the meeting conspired.

Not surprisingly, Orochimaru and Kabuto were there, along with a handful of Sound vampires that were weaker than them. A cloaked figure stood facing them, keeping her back to the approaching Sakura and her followers. Sakura stopped beside the cloaked person, no longer knowing where she was to go because the spell had only made her come to the one who had made it.

"Well, well. It actually worked. The plan went just as we expected. Well done, my humble servant. You brought one of the Slayers right to us," Orochimaru complimented, smirking evilly. "Perhaps you should be my second-in-command instead of Kabuto."

The medic nin scowled, obviously opposed to the idea. Orochimaru had been looking down on him ever since he came to the pallid man with nothing but a stake in his torso to show for the fight. Orochimaru had made him pay for failing and almost killing Sakura, and Kabuto had been working hard to make up for his failure. This new witch wasn't making that easy for him.

"…I am not your servant, Orochimaru. I've forsaken you and your cause years ago. I'm just doing what's best for Konoha…by giving you what you want. Then you'll leave us alone, as we agreed, and you'll never bother Konoha again," a familiar female voice growled, hatred dripping like venom from her words. She obviously didn't like the idea of working for Orochimaru, either.

_Wait a minute. I know that voice,_ Naruto thought. _Could...could it be-?_

"Ah. Still so resentful of me after all this time? You were my favorite before Kimimaro. But there were better people to teach, people who weren't so rebellious. You just can't accept that, can you? You couldn't accept it when I placed the curse mark on Sasuke, and now you can't accept that I want to do the same to Sakura. But you know you'll always hold a special place in my heart. You were the first person I ever taught my unique jutsu to, after all. No one can ever replace you in that," Orochimaru remarked as he closed the distance between the cloaked person and himself. He pulled back her hood and ran an affectionate hand through her darkish hair. "No one could ever take your place, dear Anko."

_Anko? No way! She's working with Orochimaru?_ Naruto thought, eyes widening as he recognized the woman's hair.

She slapped away Orochimaru's pallid hand, not appreciating his touch or his words. "Take Sakura and go. And if you don't keep up your end of the bargain, she will become as useless to you as a stone is to a tree. You know I have the power to make that happen. And you know I have the power to strike you dead right now."

"Yes. But I also have the power to cause you a lot of unnecessary pain," Orochimaru pointed out. As to make his point clear, he sent a little shock through her curse mark. She flinched, but otherwise showed no signs that she had felt it.

"…I've grown accustomed to the pain, what with you being near Konoha so much lately," Anko stated. "I should kill you right now, you and your unholy followers, but then Konoha would lose another ninja because of the energy drain. It wouldn't be worth my time to kill myself just to kill you leeches. So I'll just give you one of the Slayers and keep you from ever bothering Konoha again. Okay?"

Orochimaru scowled. "Fine."

He walked past Anko and prepared to grab the soulless Sakura. Atem held his crossbow at the ready, waiting for Buffy to give him the signal to shoot. Buffy, Giles, and Naruto both pulled out stakes while Ino prepared to cast another spell.

But their plans were ruined by a certain sensei appearing in a puff of smoke right in the middle of the clearing.

"Hey there, traitor. Sorry I'm a little behind schedule, but I fear I got lost on the path of life. You can't really say the same, what with you being dead and all. Now tell me, what were you planning on doing to my student?" Kakashi asked.

"Kakashi! What the hell are you doing here?" Anko exclaimed, worried more than irritated that he had appeared.

"Saving my student. What's it look like? At least what I'm doing isn't betraying my village and all of humanity," Kakashi shot back without looking at the witch ninja. "I can't allow Orochimaru to make another of my students into a monster. You might be willing to let a Slayer go, but I'm not. I'll sacrifice myself for her sake, because unlike me, she's got the power to save the world from the supernatural. She's more needed than any of us. And if dying at ol' Orochimaru's nasty teeth is the only way to save her…then so be it."

Orochimaru laughed sinisterly. "You are a fool, Hatake! Even if you sacrifice yourself, I will still have Sakura to be my servant!"

"…No you won't," Anko murmured.

She cast a spell to immobilize Orochimaru, to his dismay. Kakashi performed hand signs and the Lightning Blade appeared in his hand. He used this electrified orb to take out a lot of the Sound vampires. Anko joined in, only she wielded a wooden sword instead of a jutsu. Kabuto was nowhere to be found.

"…You were never planning on handing Sakura over, were you?" Kakashi asked in the middle of battle.

"You catch on quickly, Hatake. It was my plan to make him think he was getting what he wanted, and then to cast a spell to kill him and whoever he brought here with him. 'Course, the spell would have been suicide with the numbers, but it would have truly kept Konoha safe. Now I can do it without dying…thanks to you," Anko muttered.

Everything was fine and dusty when Orochimaru was the only vampire left in the area. Anko came over to him, ready to get rid of him once and for all. Kakashi took soulless Sakura away into the bushes where the others were hiding, knowing that Anko would make everything right again after she finished off Orochimaru.

"…You don't want to do this, Anko. I'm your source of power," Orochimaru stated.

"You're wrong, Orochimaru. I _do_ want to do this and you're _not_ my source of power. The Goddesses are. And you are not a god. You're good as dead," Anko remarked.

With that, she quickly recited the vampire killer spell. Orochimaru burst into flames and died right on the spot, never to be a menace again. Not to Anko, not to Sasuke, not to Sakura, not to Konoha…not to anyone.

He was finally gone for good.

* * *

_A/N: End of chapter. What did you think? Please tell me. YAY! Orochimaru's dead! Aren't you happy? Thank you for reading._


	17. Chapter 17

_A/N: Here's another chapter. Enjoy, and please read on._

* * *

Chapter 17

A pain was felt in the necks of Anko and Sasuke, though they were several miles apart. This was the result of Orochimaru's death. Their curse marks vanished as if they had never been, purging their bodies of an evil they had never really wanted and freeing them from his control. Nothing remained of Orochimaru, for his ashes disappeared when the wind blew past the Anko and the others.

She restored Sakura's soul, and apologized to the Slayer for what had happened. There was some explaining necessary, but when Sakura heard what Anko had done she immediately forgave the Jounin for taking away her soul. Buffy and the others emerged from their hiding place upon Kakashi's beckoning. Everything was good in the world after Orochimaru's death, but there was still some danger.

"Kabuto got away," Naruto muttered. "And there are still plenty of Sound ninja left. He could take control and launch an attack on the village, one that even Orochimaru wouldn't have tried."

"You're probably right. Kabuto has always been a shady person. And he was dedicated to whatever Orochimaru wanted. If Orochimaru wanted Konoha to be destroyed, then that is what Kabuto will try to do," Anko agreed.

"We mustn't forget Dracula. He's involved in this, too," Buffy pointed out.

"He's the reason the Sound village is vampires in the first place. No doubt he will try to seize control now that Orochimaru is dead," Kakashi said.

"Will they still come after Sasuke and Sakura?" Ino asked.

"I doubt Kabuto would waste his time on capturing Sasuke now that Orochimaru is gone. But as for Sakura…She is the Slayer and a threat to the undead. They will always try to kill the Slayer in order to become the only supreme beings in the world. She will always be in danger," Kakashi replied.

"It would be the same case as being a ninja," Sakura pointed out, getting her sensei to smile with that comment.

"Yeah. Only it's about ten times worse," Naruto remarked.

"We should head home. We succeeded in eliminating one of the biggest threats to Japan, and I think that deserves a break. The other Slayer and her squad can take care of things for the rest of the night," Kakashi told the group.

"Other Slayer? Who is that?" Ino inquired.

"Hinata Hyuuga," Kakashi answered.

The Genins' eyes widened. "Hinata? Really?"

"Why did she get chosen to be the Slayer? She was the weakest girl to become a Genin when we graduated! Why was she chosen?" Ino demanded, jealous.

"People have no control over who is chosen to be Slayer. A greater power above us all decides who has the potential to face the supernatural evils of this world. The greater power has seen that this Hinata is fit to be the next Slayer, and therefore she is. Just as Sakura became the Slayer, so shall Hinata," Atem explained calmly.

"You know that she's stronger than she was when we were in the Academy. We saw her fight Neji in the Chuunin exams, and she was doing great against someone with his skills. She never gave up even when it was obvious she would lose. She has courage, compassion, and cunning, all the things a Slayer needs to survive and protect. No one else could fill the position better than her. Hell, she'll probably be a better Slayer than me and Buffy combined," Sakura stated.

"Now that's something I'd like to see," Buffy grumbled.

"Yeah, but still! I should get to be the Slayer, too!" Ino whined.

"Isn't being a witch enough for you?" Naruto asked, irritated by Ino's complaining.

"Being a witch doesn't make me any stronger physically! It doesn't make me smarter or faster or anything! All it does is give me the ability to cast spells in the name of the Goddess! What good is that for a ninja?" Ino exclaimed.

"Hey! Are you talking down on witches? I'll have you know that I've been a witch for years and it helped me become the Jounin I am today! It helps you improve your jutsu and hell, it can even pass as jutsu without really tapping into your chakra! So stop your whining, you stupid maggot, and be grateful for your power!" Anko snapped, silencing the blonde witch immediately.

"…I think we should go home now," Sakura whispered as she was afraid another argument might break out and there would be a fight.

Everyone returned to their homes, planning on informing Tsunade of Orochimaru's death in the morning. Tomorrow, the foreigners would start their ninja training in the Academy with all the kids. Iruka would be their teacher. Buffy, Angel, and Spike would be excluded from this class due to their unique situations (Slayer, vampire with a soul, vampire with a chip in his head) and be trained by an elite Jounin outside of the Academy. They would probably have to train inside another building for Angel and Spike's sake, but they would not be allowed near the children. Sakura hoped their training would go well.

When she returned to her home around midnight, she found Sasuke at her doorstep. This didn't surprise her too much; he had been very worried about her after her soul had been taken and probably wanted to check up on her. He stood when he saw her and for a moment they just stood and stared at one another without saying a word. They both had their souls back now. Orochimaru was dead. Everything was going to be all right.

"…My curse mark disappeared…" Sasuke murmured after some time.

"I know. It's because Orochimaru's dead…for good," Sakura told him. "Anko tampered with the spell Willow read and brought me to her, which in turn brought me to the Sannin. Before he could do anything to me, she stopped him with a spell and she and Kakashi wiped out all of his ninja. She killed Orochimaru. He will bother us no longer."

At first, Sasuke just stared at her. Then an expression of relief appeared on his face, like he was glad to finally be free of Orochimaru's manipulative power and control. He hugged Sakura and she returned the gesture, happy that he was happy.

"…Unfortunately, Kabuto got away…and there's still Dracula to deal with. The Sound village could be taken over by either of them and another massive attack could be launched. You won't be in danger, but as the Slayer, I will always be. So will Buffy and Hinata since we share the same fate. But at least you won't be pursued anymore, Sasuke. You're finally safe. No one will try to turn you into a monster or steal you for evil purposes," Sakura whispered.

"You're wrong, Sakura-chan. So long as you're in danger, I will be, too. I will protect you with my life, no matter what. I can't stand to lose you," Sasuke stated.

"I can't stand to lose you again, either, Sasuke-kun. That's why I don't want you to be in danger anymore. Can't you stop being heroic for once and let me protect myself?"

"…I could…but I won't. I love you too much to do that."

"Oh Sasuke…I love you, too."

They embraced, but didn't kiss. It wasn't that they didn't want to, but more like Sakura was too exhausted to do anything extraneous. She glanced at the house behind Sasuke and couldn't help but shiver from the bad memories that came flooding into her head that had happened in that building. She had been in the hospital for many days after the murder of her parents and hadn't really thought about the house. But now she was sure she could never sleep in there again…at least, not for a while.

"Are you cold, Sakura?" Sasuke asked when he felt her shiver in his arms.

"…Not really…It's just…This place is full of bad and painful memories. I used to watch you from my balcony, you know…as you walked down the street going wherever it was you were going. That was when you were still alive, of course…a painful memory now because you'll never be able to walk in the sun again…And then there's the murder of my parents…I don't want to go in there anymore, Sasuke. Can I…can I stay with you?"

Sasuke was a bit taken aback by her question, but he could see where she was coming from. When his clan had first been slain, he didn't want to be near the Uchiha mansion at all because of the memories the place brought to him. It took him a couple of weeks to return to the front door, let alone his own bed. He couldn't turn down Sakura; he would have to let her come with him.

"…Thank you…" Sakura whispered, pecking him on the cheek.

* * *

Bastet paced back and forth in her room that she shared with Atem, waiting for her brother to return. Everyone else was asleep or, in the case of the vampires, out hunting the undead and supernatural. She couldn't sleep. There was something she needed to confront Atem about, and it couldn't wait until morning. It needed to be done as soon as he came home, not a moment later.

She heard the front door open and people come in. Only two. Buffy and Atem, more than likely. Bastet stopped walking and kept her back to the door, listening patiently as the two people bid each other goodnight. Footsteps approached her bedroom door, and she prepared herself to speak with her brother.

Talking to Atem was very difficult. Always had been, always would be. He could twist words and change the meaning of what someone said so well that the person would even believe that that was what they had said in the first place. He had done it to her many times in the past, but she wasn't about to let him do it now. She would get the truth out of him without falling into one of his mind-bending, word-twisting traps. She had to, or else this confrontation would be for nothing.

The door opened and closed. She heard the sound of his shoes on the floor as he turned around to look at her. It didn't matter that she was in her night clothes; she could be threatening if she wanted to be. Bastet turned around to glare at Atem, who wore no expression whatsoever.

"…We need to talk," Bastet stated, crossing her tan arms.

Atem's expression did not change; nothing about him did. "All right then. We'll talk."

He pulled off his jacket that hid his crossbow and put it up, kicking off his shoes in the process. Bastet glimpsed at the jacket with a bit of fear, for she had seen it used to kill a werewolf a few days ago. She had never seen her brother kill before, and she wondered how he had known how to kill a werewolf when no one had told him.

"…Orochimaru's dead. A witch-ninja named Anko killed him," Atem said as he sat on his bed.

"Really? That's good. But it's off-subject. I have questions for you, brother, and I intend to have them answered before sunrise. We begin our ninja training tomorrow, and I want to get in at least a little sleep before I have to haul ass and get in school again," Bastet told him.

"The same is true for me. Killing vampires can be tiresome work," Atem muttered. "Ask your questions, sister."

"How did you know how to kill a werewolf? Why the hell do you have a crossbow hidden in your jacket? And why do you seem to know everything about hunting demons and vampires?" Bastet demanded. "Are you even Atem? You're not the same brother I left in New York months ago. What happened to you?"

"…Are you accusing me of being an impostor?" Atem wanted to know, his voice calm.

"No, and don't you even try that. I'm not going to fall for your word-twisting tactic. Just answer my questions straightly and don't deflect them."

Atem sighed. "…You won't like the truth, but I can see that you won't let this go until I tell it to you. After you disappeared and didn't come back the day you were supposed to, I became a slightly different person. I tried everything I could to find out what had happened to you…but no one could give me the answer I wanted. I began to wander the streets at night, hoping against hope…that I might find you there.

"Instead I found a woman being attacked by someone. I came to her rescue, but that was when I discovered the man had very sharp teeth and nails and was…inhumanly strong. The woman…I managed to get the vampire away from her…but it almost cost me my life. She had staked him before he could kill me…and then she told me to come with her if I wanted to live. Heh…famous line, isn't it?

"She was part of a group of freelance slayers. There were ten others in the group, mostly men, of course, and they had stories to tell about supernatural creatures they had killed. They taught me everything about slaying anything that wasn't human and taught me to fight those that were far stronger than me. Sometimes we would get a new member or lose one to an unimaginable fate, but mostly our numbers remained the same. New York was safe so long as we lived and breathed. Luckily, we had nothing to do during the day because we had all graduated and worked afternoons, so the work didn't take a toll on us.

"Then you called, just like I had always hoped you would. I had survived two months without you, and now you were coming back to me. When you told me what fate had fallen upon you, Bastet, I'll admit the first thought that crossed my mind…was to kill you so you wouldn't be a threat. But I knew better. I could never kill my own sister. You asked me to come over to Konoha with you, and at first I didn't want to. Why would I want to go to a Hellmouth, where creatures worse than the ones I faced every night walked the Earth when night cast its unholy shadow?

"I consulted with my fellow slayers, and they changed my mind. They said you would be in need now that you were tainted, and Konoha would need all the help it could get with a Hellmouth just under the surface, waiting to devour all the humans there. So, a few weeks after your first call, I boarded a plane and flew to Japan.

"I came armed for many reasons. The planes flying towards Japan had many sorts of demons on them, so I needed a way to protect myself. As for the crossbow…I thought that I might need it if you ever became the beast in front of me. If you threatened human lives with me near you, I couldn't just stand around and let them be killed…or let myself be killed. And it makes it easier to kill enemies without them thinking I'm armed. It's just convenient now. But it was meant for defense."

Bastet gaped at Atem, not believing what could only be the truth. Atem wasn't a liar. He had come to Konoha not to be reunited with his sister, but to make sure she was under control and to kill the creatures of the Hellmouth. All he wanted to do was protect humans and keep her beast at bay. Other than that, he would have been content staying in New York without ever hearing from her again. He really had changed since she had left him. He had become a slayer or demon hunter or whatever. And he didn't care too much about her anymore. She was just a possible enemy to him now, one that his group of freelance demon hunters had sent him to keep an eye on.

She turned her back on Atem again so he couldn't see her hurt expression and grabbed her blanket off her bed. Bastet couldn't sleep in the same room with him anymore now that she knew the real reason he had come to Konoha. He must have sensed her bitter feelings towards him, for he came up behind her and blocked her from leaving.

"Bastet, I don't hate you," Atem said.

"No, you don't hate me. But you don't exactly like me, either," Bastet growled, walking past him with her blanket in her arms. "I'll see you in the morning…unless you decide I'm too big of a threat and put a silver bolt through my heart while I'm asleep."

With that, Bastet left the room to sleep on the couch, tears streaming down her face as she left her brother, who she had loved with all her heart, but who didn't return the feelings any longer.

* * *

Squad 8 was out for its first slaying with the vampires Angel and Spike, and it was just their luck that they would stumble upon a vampires' nest on their first time out. Hinata was doing her best to disable the enemy, but her team members were doing much better than her. They had been armed with wooden weapons prior to heading out, and already Kiba and Shino and Kurenai were masters at wielding them. Hinata was okay at it; she could always improve, though.

Shino stuck his wooden katana through two vampires at once, turning them to dust, before swinging the sword to beat back three others. Kiba had taken a wood scythe and was killing vampires left and right. Kurenai had a wood battle fan that she was wielding masterfully, taking out one vampire after the next. Hinata had chosen a wooden staff with a point at either end, and her death count was a bit less than everyone else's. Angel and Spike, who had no weapon at all, were killing even more than her.

"Kiba! Look out!" Hinata exclaimed when she saw a vampire coming up on him fast. He had his hands full with six others, and he couldn't stop fighting them to kill one other. The purple-haired Hyuuga threw her staff like it was a spear and got the threat right in the chest, dusting it before it could hurt Kiba. He nodded once to thank her before turning his full attention back to the vampires in front of him.

Noticing that she was unarmed, a dozen vampires surrounded Hinata. She gulped at seeing so many vampires around her, but she knew she could take them. She was the Slayer, after all. According to Angel, Slayers were inhumanly fast, strong, and smart. She could be all those things, couldn't she? Well, there was no time like the present to find out, now that her life was really in danger.

All of them lunged at her at once. She sent chakra to the soles of her feet and jumped out of the way in the nick of time and stuck herself to the roof of the building they were in. The vampires injured themselves and were confused as to where she had gone, giving her enough time to get to the area where her staff had dropped. She fell from the roof, expecting to hurt herself from the fall, but landing lightly on her feet. She grabbed the staff off the floor and spun around in time to see the twelve vampires coming after her again. She knocked six back with her staff, hard enough that they went flying into the wall behind them (cracking the wall in the process) and avoided various attacks from the other six by blocking and dodging. She did the splits to dodge two at once and staked those two vampires. Then she jumped to her feet and spun around quick enough to stake the other four around her. The last six barely had time to pull themselves from the wall before they were dust.

The other vampires had been dealt with by the time she killed those six, and everyone was staring at her. Kiba wore a pained expression, probably from watching her do the splits. Everyone else just seemed impressed, though it was impossible to know what Shino was thinking with his sunglasses and overly huge collar blocking his face. She blushed under their gazes; she wasn't used to getting so much attention.

"That was well done for your first time, sunflower," Spike complimented, lighting a cigarette. " And that was a bloody nice trick, running about on the ceiling like that. Those stupid vamps didn't know what hit 'em 'til it was too late to not hit each other. Bloody good show, sunflower. I 'pose you can only get better from this. 's one thing I can say for sure. You lot are better than Squad 7 was when they first started out."

"Of course we are! We're the best squad to ever exist in all of Japan!" Kiba boasted.

"…The sun will rise in two hours' time. We must continue to search for other vampires in case there are civilians in danger," Angel muttered.

"A Slayer's work is never done, eh?" Kurenai said with a smile.

"So long as there is evil, a Slayer can never rest when night falls," Angel replied.

"There are even times when a Slayer must work during the day," Spike put in.

Kiba groaned. "Man, this job sucks!"

* * *

_A/N: End of chapter. What did you think? Please tell me. Thank you for reading._


	18. Chapter 18

_A/N: Sorry for the long delay. I've been busy as usual. Anyways, here's the next chapter. Please read on and enjoy._

* * *

Chapter 18

Tsunade walked into the building that had once been Kurayami Gensou, searching for Giles. The original owners of the place had abandoned it after the werewolf attack, leaving everything behind except for the money they had earned. Giles had asked if he could convert the club into a magic store like the one he had back in the States, and the blonde Hokage couldn't help but allow him to do so. He had a charming way of asking for things…and besides, having magical objects at one's disposal could be useful.

The brown-haired Brit was busy ordering Xander, Naruto, and Atem around. They had volunteered to help him renovate the place and remove all the electronic stuff, and now they were paying for their kindness. Willow was sitting on an empty barstool with a cell phone at her ear and her laptop on the counter, oblivious to Giles's yelling and bossy tone. Tsunade assumed the red-head witch was getting in contact with friends back in the States that could ship their stuff over to Konoha.

"Get that blasted Dance game out of here. It isn't necessary," Giles said to Naruto.

The blonde Genin pouted. "But it's fun and people would play it! You just want it outta here cuz I kicked your ass when we played that one time! Can't you keep it to entertain customers while they look around at all the disgusting magic crap?"

"No, we're not keeping any of the things in this building besides the walls and the doors. Now am I going to have to ask you to leave so you can train like you're supposed to be doing or are you going to listen to me?" Giles asked.

Naruto groaned and stuck his tongue out at Giles, but otherwise made no argument against the man. He returned to pulling things out of walls and moving them outside where the electronic stuff would be taken to a dump. Tsunade smiled; she had rarely ever won an argument against Naruto, and yet Giles had done it without having to knock the boy around. Perhaps having to train Buffy had made him so good at winning arguments.

"Giles…may I pull you away from your work for a few minutes?" Tsunade inquired, startling the Brit.

"Of course, Tsunade," Giles replied.

"Hey! Granny, why are you taking away him? He's supposed to be working with us while we clean up this crap so he can move in the useless crap!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Excuse me, Naruto. But I believe that you and the other two are supposed to be training. In fact, I think that Xander and Atem are late for their first day at the Academy," Tsunade pointed out.

"What's your point? Giles is supposed to be there, too! Why does he get away with everything?" Naruto demanded.

"It's because he gives the Hokage special 'favors' you and Atem can't legally give her and that I wouldn't dream of giving her," Xander told Naruto.

A nerve throbbed in Tsunade's forehead as she turned her angry gaze on the dark-haired man that was moving Dance Dance Revolution out of the building with Atem's help. He gulped, afraid that she might come after him. He knew how strong the Hokage was; one punch from her would knock him on his ass for a full month, if not longer. She took a deep breath and counted to ten to calm herself before turning her back on the man. Giles followed her as she walked back out the front door (Xander was at the back).

Konoha was as full of life as it had been before the Hellmouth had moved there. Adults walked around conducting their daily business, children ran around playing, ninjas patrolled to protect the villagers. Only one who hadn't been in the village very long wouldn't notice the numbers had dwindled. One reason was because of ninja missions, of course. People died every day fulfilling their duty. Another was the supernatural fiends that patrolled the world at night, killing whoever they could get their fangs in. Then there was Orochimaru and the Sound ninja…though Orochimaru was now dead for good. And the final reason for the lower number, especially of children…was Sasuke. It hadn't been his fault, of course, but he had killed nonetheless.

Tsunade remembered there being this really cute girl with brown hair and brown eyes roaming the streets with a few of her friends. She had seen the friends, but the girl was nowhere to be found. The friends were less energetic than usual, and there were even tears in some of their eyes. Tsunade had found out why when several bodies were carted into the hospital's morgue. She had gasped when the brown-haired child was wheeled past her, and from reports it seemed that her death had been Sasuke's doing. She was his second to last victim before he had gotten his soul back; a Jounin had been the last person he drained before Sakura found him. But he had killed a lot of children. The village wasn't happy with him for doing so. The elders even wanted him killed for committing such crimes. But Tsunade wouldn't allow it for personal reasons.

"How much longer will we have peace, Rupert?" Tsunade asked suddenly, not looking at him but instead looking at the sun and the sky.

"…I do not know, Tsunade. But with evil, peace is always cut short. When one evil dies, another one arises, and there's no telling if this evil will be stronger than the last until we face it," Giles replied.

"So you're saying peace is impossible as long as Konoha sits on a Hellmouth? There's more to it than that. We were without peace before all of this…ninja wars and evil humans…That was normal. But now…we have vampire wars and evil that isn't human at all. So many people are dying every day, more than have died when it was just ninjas we were up against…I'm starting to doubt that peace will ever be possible. How can it be? We have so many human enemies…other nations, the Akatsuki, rogues to name a few …and now we have enemies that are dead yet walking and more hideous than Jiraiya and more powerful than me. Perhaps there's no such thing as peace," Tsunade muttered.

"It is true that peace is a figurative thing, but I believe it exists…if only a little. Konoha might never find it, but some people will. Peace isn't just for the time between battles and the silence between countries. It is also what one feels when they are completely happy for one reason or another. Your home might never be at peace…but you can be," Giles told her.

Tsunade shook her head. "What good is peace to me if my village is in turmoil?"

Giles couldn't exactly answer her, for he didn't know what he could possibly say to that. There wasn't an answer that would be logical or conclusive or that wouldn't set her off. It was best just to remain quiet as she mulled over her own thoughts.

"Orochimaru is dead thanks to Anko and Kakashi. We rejoice over his passing. But there are still threats we must prepare for. Dracula and Kabuto still live along with most of the Sound ninja. I have heard there is no way to kill Dracula, but there must be a way to keep him from being a nuisance. Also, we have to worry about what the Akatsuki might be up to. They could be like Orochimaru and all of them could be vampires right now, though I doubt they would if they discovered what happened to their former comrade. The Akatsuki is strong enough without being vampires. And there's the unpredictable First Evil, who is not a physical threat but can make anyone do what It wishes. We must not forget that allies can become enemies as well. With power comes pride, and pride often leads to trouble. So many potential enemies…it's a wonder I get any sleep," Tsunade murmured.

"Lady Fifth, why did you bring me out here?" Giles wanted to know.

She turned around to face him at last. "Rupert…we've been dating for awhile now, and it's been great. I'm just worried that one day I'll wake up and find you being carted into the morgue…or I'll wake up a monster…or just wake up dead. I suppose what I brought you out here for was to let you know how much danger being in this village puts you in …and to see if you could perhaps return to the States or to the United Kingdom. You know, somewhere where your life isn't in constant jeopardy."

Giles smiled. "I'm flattered that you are concerned for my safety. But I'm not going anywhere right now. My Slayer needs me…and I don't plan on leaving you to sulk in misery about Konoha's problems. I'm not going to die, and you're not going to die. I can deal with my life being in jeopardy…It's been like that ever since I became a Watcher. What I cannot handle is being separated from you."

"You do know I'm in my fifties, don't you? I'm going to die long before you do."

"Not if I can help it."

"What are you going to do? Cast a spell of immortality on us?"

"I might."

"You might grow bored with my constant companionship. I hear I can be a real bitch and that I gamble too much without winning."

"No. I could never bore of you. I just fear you might find me boring. I haven't much to talk about other than what I've read in books, and that could put even the stubborn Naruto to sleep."

"I'd find a way to cope."

"You always do."

Tsunade smiled and Giles returned it warmly. He knew just the right things to say to make everything better, if only somewhat. Their faces were only inches apart and getting closer by the second. Just a little more and…

"Eeeeeewwwwwww! Granny's sexually harassing Giles!" Naruto shouted.

The blonde Hokage groaned, irritated at Naruto's interference. Giles just chuckled and just when she thought he would pull away, he leaned in and finished what they had started. She didn't know what peace felt like, but she imagined that being with him was it. She never wanted to lose him.

"Someone call the cops! We've got a cougar on the loose!" Xander and Naruto yelled in unison from the front door. Atem stood behind them, shaking his head with a smirk.

"That's it! You aren't skipping out on training anymore! Get your asses out of here before you really piss me off!" Tsunade snapped, pulling away from Giles and stomping over towards the two immature boys. Giles watched her with a warm smile on his face, knowing he would hear about this later but not caring at the moment.

"But…but we're supposed to help Giles!" Naruto protested.

"I'll help Giles, and I'll probably do a better job than you three have been doing, anyway. At least I won't complain about a stupid game system," Tsunade growled, grabbing him and Xander by the collars of their shirts. "Now are you going to do this the easy way or the hard way? The easy way being that you go off on your own and the hard way being that I kick you so hard you go flying to the Academy."

"I choose the easy way," Xander said nervously.

"Good choice," Tsunade murmured, dropping him. She glanced at Naruto expectantly.

"I agreed to this so I wouldn't have to train with Kakashi and Sakura today! No one's gonna stop me from getting a free day!" Naruto stated.

"The hard way it is." Tsunade threw Naruto up into the air, readied her leg, and kicked him on his way back down, sending him flying towards the meeting place of Squad 7.

"…I am so glad I am a coward," Xander mumbled to himself, getting to his feet and running towards the Academy. Atem followed at a slower pace without saying a word.

* * *

Sasuke sat alone in his room, bored out of his skull which was something he usually wasn't. He couldn't go train with his squad anymore, what with him being a vampire and all, and there wasn't much in the Uchiha mansion to do. So he just sat on his bed, counting down the hours until Sakura would return. She had left at eleven in the morning and training was usually over at five in the evening. This was due to Kakashi's lack of concept of time and their struggling to perform a technique or jutsu. It was two now; just three or so more hours left.

There came a time when he couldn't sit still anymore. Sasuke groaned and stood up. Now he was bored, restless, and feeling a little thirsty for blood. It wasn't overwhelming like it had been when he first became a vampire; he could tolerate it without going crazy. He just needed something to occupy his mind for a few hours…until the sun disappeared over the horizon. Then he could slip out and get blood from the hospital.

He wandered around the Uchiha mansion until he reached the indoor training room. It was about the same size as a gym with the Uchiha symbol in the middle. At one time, the whole elite force of his clan had trained together in that very room, honing their skills to become the best of the best. His father had trained here…so had Itachi…Sasuke hadn't ever done so because he was considered too young.

Sasuke shook his head to rid himself of the memories of his now dead family. The whole Uchiha clan, the police force of Konoha, had been murdered by Itachi and his obsession for power. They didn't matter anymore. All that mattered was becoming strong enough to kill the murderer of his clan. Becoming a vampire was one step closer to that goal, though it had made him next to inhumane with all the lives he had taken. All that remained was to improve his jutsu and fighting technique while keeping Sakura safe. But how was he to do that when he couldn't even leave his home?

He saw some scrolls piled up in a bookshelf in the far corner of the gym. All of the Uchiha clan's prized jutsus and techniques had been written down on these. Sasuke had never touched them before; they had been forbidden from his eyes when he was a child. Things had changed; he was a teenager and he needed to become stronger. Besides, it wasn't like someone could stop him from opening the scrolls now that he lived alone. If Kakashi could no longer teach him, then he would have to teach himself.

Without another thought on the subject, Sasuke grabbed the first scroll on the top shelf and unrolled it, defying the rules of his clan to defeat his brother.

* * *

Willow was feeling very nervous as she and the others sat in a room full of children who wanted to be ninja. They were all staring at her and her friends, perhaps wondering what adults were doing in the Ninja Academy. Wasn't it too late for them to become ninja? Weren't they getting too old to learn this stuff? Shouldn't they just get an easier job like farming or corporate management? Willow couldn't help but agree with their thinking, but her life and the lives of her friends depended on her getting taught this ninja stuff.

Their teacher was a dark-haired man with a scar across his nose named Iruka. He had taught Naruto before he and the other Genin had earned their title, and he looked to be a good teacher that anyone could get along with. He was just a Chuunin, the second rank of ninja, but so was every other teacher at the Academy. Willow thought he would be a better instructor than most of the ones she had had to face at Sunnydale High, and he didn't let her down.

In order to fit in, Tsunade had ordered them to wear native clothes during training and Academy classes. They had all done so reluctantly, but at least they didn't stick out as foreigners so much. Willow actually liked what she was wearing, which was more than Anya would care to say. That blonde had complained for hours after Tsunade had told them what they had to wear, and she still wouldn't shut up.

Right now they were learning the basics about chakra manipulation. The red-head witch was taking notes quickly without looking down at her paper, something she had learned to do while in Sunnydale High because most of the teachers there had expected students to write as the speed of sound. Iruka was explaining a lot of things and writing notes on the chalkboard for his students to copy. He promised to demonstrate good chakra manipulation if Konohamaru had all the notes taken down by the end of this class, for apparently Konohamaru was the class slacker. That brunette boy was writing away; even he wanted to see his teacher do something.

"Where's Xander?" Anya asked, concerned about her fiancé's absence.

"He was helping out Giles with Atem and Naruto. If he doesn't show, he doesn't show," Bastet told her. She wasn't concerned about her brother's absence; he didn't care about her anymore, so why should she care about him? Oz gave her a disapproving look but otherwise remained silent.

"He probably won't show," Dawn muttered. "Lucky him. He gets to skip school."

"Yeah, but he's missing a good lesson," Tara put in.

"We can always catch him up on it later," Willow reminded her. "Now shush everyone. Iruka-sensei is looking at us."

The dark-haired Chuunin glanced up at the foreigners as he wrapped up his lesson, hearing their whispering. They ceased at the red-head's command; she seemed to be the one in charge of the present entourage. They weren't as troublesome as some of his students, and for that he was grateful. True, they were mostly adults with the exception of Dawn, but they were still young as far as age went. They could be as bad as Naruto if they tried …or Konohamaru.

"Konohamaru, stop throwing paper wads at Kenji or else," Iruka ordered, making the grandson of the Third Hokage fall over in his seat as he had been preparing to throw another wad of paper at the said boy.

"Oh, come on, Iruka-sensei! You're saying the same things over and over…can't you wrap it up already and show us proper chakra control?" Konohamaru whined.

The other children of the Academy raised their voices in agreement. Iruka sighed and smiled, giving into his students' demands. Besides, he had planned on doing the demonstration no matter what. It was part of his lesson plan.

He performed hand signs slowly so his students could see him manipulating chakra. Willow could feel the power building up inside of him. It wasn't like the magical energy she felt during spells of course, but it was still very strong. She assumed this was the chakra he had been speaking of the entire class, and she couldn't help but keep her eyes peeled to him as he prepared to do his jutsu. Tara felt a tinge of jealousy from the intentness of Willow's stare, but she had to look away from Willow to focus on her teacher and his demonstration.

As soon as he performed the last hand sign, smoke appeared around him. With it came four identical copies of Iruka. The foreigners were amazed by this; never before had they seen someone make copies of themselves like this (except for maybe with Naruto). They wondered if they might be able to do that someday. The kids of the Academy weren't as impressed, but they were surprised about how perfectly Iruka's Shadow Clones had turned out.

"It's all about balance," the five Irukas said in unison. "You must balance physical energy and mental energy just right for chakra manipulation or your jutsu will fall flat."

Just then, Xander came barging through the door, tripping on the stopper as he rushed in and falling flat on his face. Atem walked in behind him, walking around his fallen friend without so much as a glance and passing by Iruka without an explanation. Willow saw Bastet's expression change as her brother joined them where they were sitting. He was not dressed natively, but neither was Xander. They must not have had the time to change.

"Sorry we're late, Iruka-sensei. We were helping out a friend of Tsunade's…it won't happen again," Xander apologized as he got onto his feet, ignoring the laughter of the kids that were poking fun of him because of his fall. He was taken aback when he saw five Irukas instead of just one. "Uh…which one of you is the real one? And how is there more than one of you? Did I miss something?"

"You did indeed, Harrison. You missed today's lesson for this class. But you're just in time to help me with a little demonstration," Iruka remarked, releasing his jutsu so that only he remained. "Follow my hand signs exactly and let's see if you can get the chakra balance right."

Xander copied Iruka's hand signs as he redid the Shadow Clone jutsu. He struggled a bit but otherwise was fine…or so he thought. When he recited the name of the jutsu like Iruka did, everything went floppy. While Iruka's four Clones reappeared, only one Clone appeared for Xander, and it wasn't in the best of states. It couldn't even get off the ground where it laid. The class laughed at him again, and that laughter took Xander back to the bad old days in Sunnydale High when he would make a mistake and everyone would taunt him for it.

"You didn't have balance, but that was good for a first try, Xander. Next time, just try to be on time," Iruka said. "Class is dismissed."

The kids of the Academy were gone in the blink of an eye as soon as those words left his mouth. Anya came towards Xander and gave him an earful for his being late and embarrassing himself like that. Atem waited for Bastet to come down to his level, but she and Oz walked right past him like he wasn't even there. Dawn ran off to find Shikamaru, who wanted to help her train. Tara left to meet with Ino, though she didn't say so to Willow. Willow remained in the classroom with Iruka, who was surprised to see that she hadn't left.

"Excuse me, Iruka-sensei, but I need to talk to you," Willow told him, approaching his desk. "This ninja stuff…it's all kinda new to me…and I kinda get it, but then again I don't and I think I might need some extra help."

"You're Willow, right?" She nodded and he continued. "Lady Tsunade told us you were a spellcaster. Let me tell you something. Casting jutsu is just like casting spells. You have to mix together the energies just right or it won't work the way you want to. I'm sure you've had a few spells go awry because of a miscalculation. Jutsus work the same way. If you can't get it right, I'm always willing to help you."

"Thank you, Iruka-sensei. I feel so out-of-place being in school again, but you…you're much nicer than the teachers I used to have," Willow complimented.

"It can be hard adjusting to a new place, but a wonderful girl like you should have very little trouble," Iruka stated, causing Willow to blush. "What were the teachers at your schools like exactly?"

"…Old, mean, grouchy, gave out a lot of homework that wasn't really necessary…ask them a question and they sent you to the office…Pretty much the exact opposite of you," Willow replied.

"Well, I guess I should be glad that I work here and not in the modern world. I like the way I am, and if I had to be such a grouch, I would go insane."

"Yeah, but you deal with pesky little kids all day. Haven't you already gone insane?"

Iruka laughed. "Some days it feels like I have, but to see who these kids turn out to be makes it all worth it."

"…I would love to stay and chat, but I have Slayer's best friend duties to attend to. I suppose I'll see you tomorrow in class."

"It's a pleasure to be your sensei, Willow. If you ever need me, don't be afraid to ask."

"I won't. Goodbye, Iruka-sensei."

She walked away from him with a huge smile on her face. He was smiling too as he watched her go away, and he couldn't stop himself from thinking about that red-head the rest of the day and night.

* * *

Buffy stopped to catch her breath inside the tower at the Forest of Death. Spike and Angel were with her, of course, and they were being pushed to their limits just as much as she was. They had two senseis-Rukio and Ibiki Morino-who weren't giving them the standard Academy training. They were going above and beyond the normal stuff. Why two instructors? Rukio was suffering from the torture he had been ordered to go through because of his loose lips and Ibiki had to keep an eye on him.

Just like their friends, they had learned about the importance of balancing mental and physical energy in chakra. But then they had been tested in their ability to do so. Buffy, being the Slayer, had been the first to try a jutsu…the Shadow Clone jutsu since it was considered one of the easier ones (it's not the same as Naruto's; they aren't the physical clones). She had flopped on it, but unlike kind Iruka, Ibiki forced her to do it again until she could create four perfect Shadow Clones. Spike and Angel had the same deal, and they too both screwed up on their first tries. Ibiki kept pressing them, not allowing them to have a break for a single second, while Rukio enforced the threats Ibiki made. If Spike stopped long enough to spit out an insult, Rukio would hit him in the head with a cross to get him moving again.

Rukio came towards her with the cross. Even though it didn't have the same effect on her as it did with Spike and Angel, it still hurt to be hit with it. She knocked it back out of his hands to stop him from hurting her. She had hardly ever been worked this much before; she deserved a tiny break to catch her breath. After all, she had stopped numerous apocalypses in the past to save humanity's ass. The least these humans could do to repay her would be to let her breathe. She saw him starting to do hand signs and wondered what exactly he was planning on doing to her.

Lightning shot out of Rukio's hand, seeming to incinerate Buffy on the spot. Spike and Angel gaped at the spot where Buffy had been standing only moments ago, fearing the worst when the jutsu ended and she wasn't there. Spike growled and charged at Rukio, grappling him and making him fall to his knees. Then he went to kick the bruised Jounin in the face, but the blonde caught his foot and knocked him back. He started doing more hand signs as if he was going to do the same thing to Spike as he had done to Buffy.

"Hey! Leave Spike alone!"

The men looked up to see Buffy hanging from the roof. Somehow she had managed to get the chakra to focus on the soles of her feet and jump out of the way of Rukio's jutsu. He had really pissed her off now; trying to kill her and her friends was a big no-no. She performed the hand signs she had been taught, made four copies of her to confuse Rukio, and jumped down, ready to clobber him. He didn't see it coming until it was too late.

Ibiki watched the fight without expression or attempting to help Rukio. The man deserved what he was getting, anyway. Tsunade had specifically said no trying to kill their students. At least it seemed Buffy was capable of learning ninjutsu and she was a master of physical fighting. She looked like she could learn taijutsu very well; perhaps she could even rival Rock Lee's skill in time. The vampires were a little slower, but they looked somewhat promising. The only one who didn't look that way was Rukio.

"All right, Buffy. I think that's enough," Ibiki said when Rukio's face had been fully bloodied and any more damage could spell disaster. "You've learned one jutsu and have understood the importance of chakra balance in more ways than was expected of you. You are free to go; you have learned the lesson. Spike and Angel, you are still inadequate. Please continue with the jutsu."

"What are you going to do about this loser?" Buffy asked, nudging Rukio with the toe of her shoe.

"Nothing. He will remain there until Spike and Angel master the jutsu, and then I will take him to Lady Fifth for punishment. But that isn't your concern anymore, Buffy. You are free to go. Just report back tomorrow at ten and we'll be fine," Ibiki told her.

Spike grumbled something about it being unfair that Buffy got to leave early. She smiled and stuck her tongue out at him as she made her way to the door. Four ANBU members were waiting to escort her out of the Forest of Death, considering how full of possible deaths it was. They moved quickly, for the forest was huge and the gates were about ten kilometers from the tower. Buffy was only able to keep up with the ANBU because of her Slayer speed. Otherwise, they would have taken longer to get out. Even with the speed, it was about ninety minutes until she was out with her masked guard.

It was already about six; the sun was starting to set. Buffy sighed. She would hardly have enough time to go home, eat something, and prepare for slaying. There wasn't any time for her to be taking breaks. True, there were now three Slayers, but they all had to work to keep Konoha safe. Sakura had been dealing with this ninja training/Slayer duties for weeks now; Buffy would just have to follow her example.

She ran home as fast as she could.

* * *

"Orochimaru was a fool. I knew he wouldn't last long as a vampire with all the enemies he has made for himself. Now I can seize control of this entire village. Of course, the people don't trust me because I am not from their country. But dear old Kabuto…You have worked among them for such a long time. You were Orochimaru's most trusted ninja. They'll listen to you. And you will listen to me, right?" Dracula asked, caressing the Sound ninja's face. He had beaten Kabuto senselessly when the gray-haired man had returned without Orochimaru; now the medic nin was tied to a ring of some sort that had all of his limbs stretched as far as they could go and he was suspended over a pool of holy water.

"…Of course, Count Dracula…I'll do whatever you say…" Kabuto gasped. He usually never gave into anyone's demands, but this was a real life-or-death situation, and without Orochimaru around anymore, he was a coward.

The dark-haired sexy vampire smiled. "That's what I wanted to hear. Good boy."

"Will you let me go now?" Kabuto inquired as he watched the man walk off.

"Kabuto, sweet foolish Kabuto…I must ensure that you will never betray me," Dracula replied, looking at the Sisters who were holding the ring in place with a chain. "Let him have it so he learns what comes of being disobedient to his new master, ladies."

He walked out of the room with the sound of Kabuto's screams echoing throughout Orochimaru's castle.

* * *

_A/N: End of chapter. What did you think? Please tell me. Also, should I make a relationship blossom between Willow and Iruka, or should she remain with Tara? Is Giles and Tsunade a good relationship? And should Buffy be with Spike, or Angel? Thank you for reading._


	19. Chapter 19

_A/N: Sorry for the delay, and thanks to you that reviewed. Here is another chapter. Please read on._

* * *

Chapter 19

A couple of weeks passed by with the normal occurrences and nothing major falling upon the inhabitants of the Leaf village. There was just the usual training and slaying pattern, nothing else. The only mentionable thing might be that everyone's ninja skills were improving because of Iruka and Ibiki, and Hinata had become a better Slayer than anyone had thought she could be. And it might matter that Rukio was locked up in the dungeon for attempted murder upon a Slayer, but who knows?

Relationships were on the rocks. Atem was reaching out to his sister, trying to be the brother he had always been, but she wasn't giving him the chance. Bastet wasn't an easy person to win over, and she could hold grudges for months if she felt like it. So she hardly spoke to her brother anymore and avoided him whenever possible, much to Oz's dislike. He thought Atem had just been doing what he thought was right and that Bastet should accept that and move on. 'Course, he didn't tell _her _that. If he had, she might turn her anger on _him_, and he certainly didn't want that.

Tara and Willow's relationship was a bit shaky, too. Ever since they had entered the Academy, the red-head had expressed feelings for their teacher. The way she kept looking at him had set Tara off, and now it looked like their relationship might end. They argued more than ever and Ino, being Tara's apprentice in magic, was usually caught in the middle. Iruka backed off from Willow for awhile, as he didn't want to get involved until their relationship was sorted out. He admitted he liked Willow, but if she was with someone, he would be nothing more than friends with her. As Tara often argued, wasn't being friends with him enough?

Sasuke was coping with being a vampire the best he could. Training on his own wasn't as easy as he had expected; sometimes he was lucky enough to have Kakashi drop in to show him how something was actually done. There were other times when he would be fortunate during the day-it would be either very cloudy or raining and he could go out without becoming ash. The only thing that made being a vampire bearable was Sakura, who was always there to bring a bright spot to his gloomy life.

But some people were about to make things very hard for him because of what he had done when he first became a vampire…

Three very powerful people…

* * *

Sasuke was training as usual in the Uchiha arena, trying to learn a certain technique from one of the clan scrolls. So far he wasn't succeeding, but he wasn't about to give up. If one gave up whenever they had trouble learning something, one would never learn. Besides, he had plenty of time. Sakura wouldn't be back for a few more hours and he had nothing else he had to do while the sun was up. Hardly anyone ever came to see him. He was alone and had all the time in the world to do whatever he wanted.

Or so he thought.

While he was occupied with reading the scroll to better understand the technique, some uninvited guests had come down into the Uchiha arena. He heard their heartbeats, which was his first indication that he wasn't alone. Without turning to look at the group, he determined that there were seven ninja behind him with weapons and some sort of mask, for he heard the slightest sounds of something rubbing against cloth and their breathing was louder than it would have been had nothing been covering their faces.

"What do you want? Why are ANBU Black Ops ninja in my home?" Sasuke asked, still keeping his back to them.

"The counselors have requested we bring you to them to face judgment for the crimes you have committed against Konoha," one of the masked people replied, a woman. "We were told to take you alive, but if you resist, we might be forced to kill you again. Please come quietly, Sasuke Uchiha."

"…They're coming at me now for what I _accidentally_ did after Orochimaru made me into a monster? Heh…they have a way with timing," Sasuke muttered. "I guess I have no choice but to go with you…"

Instead of coming quietly, Sasuke quickly spun around and tossed multiple shuriken at the seven ANBU. The masked ninja dodged them or deflected them with drawn weapons, but Sasuke was not without his own arms. His wrists were covered with black ink, and his weapons came from his wrists, for what he had written had summoned them forth. He pulled out two demon wind shuriken and tossed them at a couple of the ANBU before repeating the process. One of them disappeared from sight as to avoid his weapons as he did the Shadow Shuriken jutsu to trick the others.

He hadn't lost tabs on the one that disappeared; he could smell her scent just fine even in the midst of battle. Sasuke couldn't exactly see her, and he assumed she was doing some sort of jutsu to get the better of him. Just as long as he kept his guard up, she shouldn't be able to pull anything tricky. But he didn't have time to think about her, for the other six were now starting to do jutsu that were harder to avoid than weapons.

His wrists had run out of shuriken, so he figured it was time to do some jutsu. He began the signs for the Fireball Jutsu as he dodged the enemy's chakra-powered attacks. His fingers had formed the last sign and he was about to shoot it when…

The Uchiha's body was frozen in place. He wasn't on the ground, either. Sasuke had been running along the wall when something forced him to stop moving. The missing ANBU female materialized out of the wall kinda like Orochimaru liked to do, her hands in a certain hand sign at the end of a certain jutsu. Her white, cat-like mask kept hidden anything she might have been feeling about capturing him. He just glared at her; that was all he could do.

"Attacking us only made things worse for you, Sasuke," she stated. "I have paralyzed you with my chakra, and you will be released only when your hands are restrained and we have your word that you will not try to resist us again. We will escort you to face the counselors. I pray they show you mercy…not for your sake, but for the pink-haired girl that Lady Fifth is fond of."

"Only Orochimaru can materialize like that," Sasuke said through clenched teeth while a couple ANBU put his hands in wooden cuffs that kept his hands far enough apart that he couldn't do jutsu to be free.

"Not true. Many people can do that jutsu. That traitor was just the most famous for it," the female told him as she released him from her jutsu.

"How are you going to escort me when it's still day? I'll be turned to ash as soon as I step outside," Sasuke pointed out.

The female ANBU pulled out a red sun umbrella and held it over his head. He noticed there were a few holes in the top that, if sunlight passed through them, would manage to severely burn his face up. Sasuke mentioned this to his captors, but the only response he got was that Danzo had ordered to use that specific umbrella to escort "that vile Uchiha bloodsucker." He would have to grin and bear it.

He just hoped Sakura would not be too upset to find him missing when she came home.

* * *

"Sasuke! I'm back!" Sakura called, closing the door to the Uchiha mansion behind her. The house was almost completely dark for his safety, but there was enough light for her to see comfortably.

When she didn't see him appear as if out of thin air or hear him call back, she began to worry a little. Sasuke always responded in some way to her coming home from training. His sensitive vampire hearing would have picked up any trace sound she made, and that would have alerted him that she had returned. So where was he? What was keeping him? Why wasn't he saying anything? Did something happen to him while she was gone? Was he dead?

_Calm down, Sakura. You're probably overreacting. You know how he is when he's training in that room; he's so focused he can't hear you, _Sakura recalled, taking a deep breath to lower her racing pulse. _Just go downstairs and check on him. You know, make sure he's not pushing himself too far past his limits._

Forcing a smile onto her face, Sakura traveled down to the Uchiha training room, hoping that she would find Sasuke there. Instead of his handsome face, she was met with something else that made her smile disappear and her eyes widen. There were shuriken everywhere and signs that jutsu had been used. These jutsu didn't look like anything Sasuke had ever done, and she doubted he could have learned them in just one day. Ninja of some kind had come and gotten Sasuke while she was gone. There was no telling if these ninja were human or some sort of demon.

And there was no telling if Sasuke was alive or dead…_permanently_.

She looked around frantically for any sign that he might have survived the fight, praying that the ninja hadn't killed him and weren't lying in wait for her. She doubted that even the most skilled ninja could catch Sasuke offguard because of his vampiric-heightened senses, but not being caught by surprise and being able to take care of his opponents was an entirely different matter. He could have easily been overwhelmed or killed depending on how strong the enemy had been.

The scroll he had been reading was on the ground where he dropped it as he jumped into battle. It was obvious he had known they were there and dropped it not because they had grabbed him from behind, but because he needed his arms free. Sakura grabbed it off the floor, planning to return it to its place on the bookshelf. Tears were already in her eyes, but they didn't blur her vision that badly. If they had, she wouldn't have noticed the black ink on the back where there was no other writing.

_ANBU attack. Counselors. Tell Tsunade._

_-Sasuke_

"Well duh it's from you," Sakura grumbled with a grim smile. It quickly faded as she took in the meaning of his short message. The counselors had sent ANBU to get Sasuke, perhaps to punish him for all the lives he had taken when he first became a vampire. What he had done was a serious crime, but the Hokage had never come at him for it because she knew it wasn't really his fault. Did the counselors have more power than the village leader? Could they take justice into their own hands?

She used chakra to erase Sasuke's message before returning the scroll to where it belonged. Then she disappeared in the blink of an eye with the aid of jutsu, only to reappear outside the Uchiha mansion. From there she ran all the way to the Hokage's office to discover the truth and inform Lady Tsunade of what had become of Sasuke if she didn't know already.

As soon as she walked through the door, she knew the Hokage was aware of what the counselors had done. The sound that meant her ears was something being broken and yelling that she often heard when Tsunade was ticked off at Naruto for one of his antics. Sakura carefully stepped around what remained of a chair and approached Tsunade's desk. The blonde Hokage was standing and looked absolutely peeved. Shizune, who had been standing in the doorway, just looked shocked at her lady's display of anger.

"I assume you know, then," Sakura said when Tsunade's brown gaze fell upon her.

"The elders have called a trial for Sasuke Uchiha…all the clan heads will attend to decide his fate. They don't believe it was right of me to overlook his crimes when he took lives from the village. They call it treason! How dare they do this! Sasuke has done more good for Konoha than they have ever! All they do all day is sit around on their asses and drink tea while he trains to protect the village even though he can no longer go on missions during the day! He's more a man than they'll ever be!" Tsunade exclaimed.

"…What will happen…if the clan leaders decide that Sasuke is guilty?" Sakura asked.

Tsunade sighed. "The punishment for murder of the innocent…is death. They will have him killed, and therefore will put an end to the Uchiha clan for good."

"…Is…is there anything we can do…to perhaps make the leaders, or even the council itself…change its mind about subjecting Sasuke to such an end? You're the Hokage… shouldn't you have the power to overrule this?" Sakura inquired, tears in her eyes.

"I am the Hokage, but the counselors have the power to overrule my decisions if they seem rash in their opinion. All I can do is attend this trial and plead Sasuke's case. But as in all trials, it is the people's right to appeal to the council as to why the defendant is either innocent or guilty. If you and some of your friends could come, then perhaps we might be able to save him," Tsunade told her. "Just make sure you don't bring a bunch of fan girls with you…Having girls plead for his life just because they love him won't help anyone but the counselors."

"So there…there's still a chance…to save him?" Sakura's expression brightened a little, and Tsunade saw a look of determination come across her face. "Then I won't waste it. I will get people that can convince the council that Sasuke is not a bad person, and the lives he took were not his fault. And they won't be fan girls, I promise. They'll be the best people we could ever have pleading for his life. You can count on that."

Tsunade smiled slightly before letting her go to collect those said people. _I would bet on that, but whenever I bet on anything, the opposite is always the outcome. So I'll bet against you in the mind. My heart will be along the same lines as yours, for Sasuke means more to this village than those stuck-up counselors would like to admit. I just guess it was a good thing I did not bring up who else they plan on putting on trial...or you would be even more determined...and heartbroken...and pissed, like me._

* * *

The clan leaders gathered in the room they held their trials, some more open-minded than others. Some of the men there were fathers of friends of Sasuke, and others were relatives of those who had been killed by Sasuke. Others had no opinion of the boy besides how what they had heard of his crimes had made them think. The choice of what should become of his fate rested on each of their shoulders, and everyone was aware of it.

The counselors, an old woman named Koharu and an equally old man named Homura and a man with a scar on his chin named Danzo, sat across from the clan leaders with no expression on their faces to betray how they felt about this trial. Tsunade, wearing the Hokage attire that she was required to don during such meetings, sat at the head of the room with Shizune at her side. Sasuke and the other accused person had not been brought in yet. Sakura hadn't shown up yet, either. But she would be there soon with her friends to plead for Sasuke, as she had promised.

The door opened to reveal Sakura, Naruto, Kakashi, Buffy, Spike, Oz, and Atem. Tsunade knew Atem wasn't there to plead for Sasuke, as the man hardly knew the boy that Sakura wanted to save. He and Oz were there because of the other person the counselors had taken to be tried for her crimes. Had they told Sakura yet? Or had they made her believe they were there for Sasuke? Only time would tell.

"Children are not allowed to participate in trials!" Koharu scolded when she saw them.

"We are not here as children nor are we children any longer! Once one has taken up the title of ninja, they are considered to be adults," Sakura remarked, glaring at the elder. "We come here to testify on the prisoner's behalf, and it is the right of the people to do so, so you cannot turn us down."

"She is right. We have to accept them and listen to what they say," Homura muttered.

"Fine. Sit down and be silent. The prisoners will be brought in shortly," Koharu grumbled. She had heard Sakura say 'prisoner's', but had mistook it as her saying 'prisoners'. Tsunade saw the girl's eyes widen slightly, but there was no time to speak. The group sat among the clan leaders as they were instructed.

A few seconds later, the doors opened again. This time, it was Giles, but he was not there as a witness necessarily. He was bringing the prisoners in with the ANBU, as he knew more than them about the weaknesses of vampires and werewolves. Behind him followed ten ANBU and a restrained Sasuke and Bastet. Sasuke's restraints were made of wood while Bastet's were made of pure silver. Tsunade heard Sakura gasp, and she herself was a little taken aback when she saw the condition of Sasuke's face. It was severely burned in several locations; it looked almost as if it had been done on purpose. Bastet was better off, but the silver was being a great pain to the poor girl. Unlike with wood, silver hurt werewolves with its very presence. Vampires would actually have to be stabbed with wood for it to hurt. Tsunade caught Atem glowering at her captors and the counselors, hating them all for what his sister was going through.

Giles was granted the opportunity to sit (which he did beside Tsunade), but the others remained standing. Sasuke cast a quick glance over at Sakura, who nodded to reassure him that they would get him out of this situation. He smirked but was forced to look away when one of the ANBU noticed his gaze. No one spoke for the longest time. The counselors, the accusers, would have to speak first.

"Fellow members of this great village of Konoha, the council has called you here because great evil is living among us," Koharu began. "As we are all aware of by now, there are creatures of darkness that stalk our world at night, killing us slowly so that they can continue to live. They weren't here before, but one fateful day this phenomenon called the Hellmouth moved from the city of Sunnydale in America to our village. Ever since then, this village has attracted more vile beasts than any ninja we have ever seen, tainting our people and turning them into monsters. Even when we die, we are not safe from being tainted by evil. We all have the potential to become monsters because of this evil, for all it needs to do is sink its teeth into us to make us dark.

"Two of these creatures have been living among us for some time. Our Fifth Hokage, Lady Tsunade, has known of their existence for just about as long as they have been here in our village. They are a part of a group that slays the evil creatures that stalk the night, which consists of other evil creatures. They have names: Spike, Angel, Oz, Anya, Willow, Tara, Ino Yamanaka, and Rock Lee. But what makes those vampires, witches, demons, and werewolves different than the two people that stand before us? One thing. Those eight have not killed the innocent in our village. They have only killed monsters. Sasuke Uchiha and Bastet Mahado cannot say the same thing.

"When Bastet was first transformed into a werewolf, she killed over ten times, and we couldn't even identify the bodies to tell the families because there were no bodies to identify. The families found out when their husbands, wives, sons, daughters, brothers, or sisters never came home. Bastet Mahado killed over ten people within the first couple of days of being a werewolf. She has a way of controlling the beast, a way of preventing herself from killing anymore. But how many people in this room has she hurt by taking those lives and not facing punishment for it?

"Then there's Sasuke Uchiha, the last member of his clan because of the tragedy that took away all the others. He was killed by the late Orochimaru, but his death was nothing more than a nap, really. When he woke up, he was no longer the Sasuke Uchiha that was the top ninja of his year. He was a cold-blooded killer. In less than twenty-four hours, he took the lives of twenty people, most of which were children. Luckily, he didn't know enough to turn these people into vampires like himself. All he did was gorge on their blood to keep himself alive. Sakura stopped him from murdering anyone else, and her friends gave him back his soul to prevent him from ever killing another human. But what he has done…it cannot go unpunished. Am I wrong in saying that most of the people in this room lost someone because of the vampire Sasuke Uchiha?"

"We have lost enough lives already because of the two people that stand before you," Homura continued for her. "Lady Tsunade might be willing to overlook their crimes, but we have not forgotten what the people want. Sasuke Uchiha and Bastet Mahado must face judgment for what they have done. We will not sit quietly while they walk freely among us as if they have never done a single thing wrong. Now is the time to speak up and take care of these criminals."

"As the council, we are supposed to state the case and not pose a biased opinion," Danzo put in. "But this case is different. The Hokage has changed the rules by letting these two walk free without a single reproach. Her opinion is biased, so we cannot help but be biased ourselves. Do not let us sway your thoughts of either of these people. Just take into consideration what we have told you and what other people will tell you today. Many fates hang in the balance, not just of these two accused but also those that have been killed. Will their deaths be merely a misfortune, or will their murderers face justice?

"The people may speak now. Anyone who wishes to put their intelligent opinion may do so at this time. Keep in mind that whatever you say must be the truth, no matter what questions that might be asked. Also remember that your words decide their fates. Kakashi Hatake, why don't you go first, seeing as you are Sasuke's sensei?"

Kakashi stood and cleared his throat before walking over to the counselors' side.

"How would you describe Sasuke when he first became a member of Squad Seven?" Homura asked him.

"Cocky…and arrogant. Since he had graduated from the Academy the top ninja, he believed his skills far exceeded those of his squad members and they were beneath him. He was very talented, but his social skills were always a bit lacking," Kakashi replied. "Over time, his skills grew and he lost most of his cockiness. The squad became like a family almost with how close our missions brought us. You could say…his social skills improved with him being with us."

"What missions could bring a squad as close together as a family?" the leader of a lesser clan inquired.

"Well, there were several that improved how well we worked together and made us grateful for each other. But the first mission that had that effect was the one in the Land of Waves. We were escorting the bridge builder Tazuna back to his nation so he could finish the completion of a bridge. It was listed as a C-ranked mission, but it was really more of a B or higher because this businessman named Gato was hiring ninja to kill him. When one of those ninja, Zabuza, managed to capture me in a Water Prison, Sasuke and Naruto acted like they were always part of a squad. Let me tell you, those two hated each other more than Senju hated Uchiha way back when. But they managed to fight Zabuza and forced him to release me from his jutsu. Later, they both faced a 'servant' of Zabuza's, a boy by the name of Haku who possessed an icy kekkei genkai. Sasuke awoke his Sharingan during that fight and almost died to protect Naruto. We defeated our foes …with some outside assistance that was less than necessary, and we were somewhat closer together. At least Naruto and Sasuke didn't hate each other so much."

"So you're saying that Sasuke would die protecting people rather than kill them?" another clan leader assumed.

Kakashi nodded. "He would only kill those he was ordered to, and even that would be difficult for a boy his age."

"But I heard he tried to kill someone during the Chuunin exams. Two people, in fact," a different clan leader put in.

"Those were Sound ninja, and they were trying to kill Sasuke and the rest of Squad Seven under Orochimaru's orders. Besides, that particular round of the Chuunin exams in the Forest of Death isn't supposed to be a walk in the park. People are killed all the time in that round. What Sasuke did then was just what he had to do to ensure that Squad Seven survived. And he didn't even kill those two. Gaara was responsible for Dosu, and Orochimaru could be blamed for the other."

"How did your student end up the way he is now?" Danzo wanted to know.

"…Members of the Sound village, including Orochimaru, had invaded Konoha. Somehow Orochimaru had gotten this vampire…Dracula…to turn his entire village into vampires. They were after Sakura and Sasuke at the time because Sakura was one of the Slayers and Sasuke was someone Orochimaru wanted. The boy entered battle with the vampire and was winning only because Willow was there to protect him with spells that hurt his opponent. Just before sunrise, Orochimaru managed to break through those spells long enough to drain Sasuke and feed the boy some of his own blood. Lady Tsunade tried the best she could to save his life, but it was futile. I was the one that gave her permission to let him die since he had no family and I was his sensei. Let me tell you. Letting him go wasn't the easiest thing I have ever done. It was…very…painful. Then he died and came back a vampire. He killed the nurse that was going to take him to the morgue, and then escaped through the window because it was raining."

"Did you see him kill anyone?" Koharu inquired.

"…A few times…while we were trying to capture him. We would catch him in the act, but would always be too late to save the person he was biting."

"You say you were trying to capture him despite seeing him kill the villagers you would otherwise risk everything to protect," one clan leader pointed out. "Why didn't you just kill him and eliminate the threat right then and there?"

"It's not that simple. You may think it would be, but that's because you were not Sasuke's sensei for over a year. I had been responsible for his death once. Being the one to kill him twice…I don't think I would have been able to live with it. And there was also Naruto and Sakura's feelings to consider…Sakura had been unconscious in the hospital the whole time that Sasuke was dying and then being a monster…and she, more than the rest of us…she loved him. And besides, there was a way of making sure he would never kill a human again. Willow could give him his soul back. Which she did."

"Just because he has his soul and was a great student who was loved by another of your students, you think he doesn't need to be punished for killing those twenty people? He killed eleven children, three women, and six men. Eleven children," a clan leader remarked. "Shouldn't he pay for that?"

"…I feel very bad about the deaths Sasuke has forced this village to grieve. I don't think he should get away with it, either. But I also don't think he should have to die again. He has lost enough as it is. His family, his life, his ability to come out at day…Hell, he can't even sustain himself off of normal food anymore. He's lost almost everything, and apparently the council believes he should lose more. They want to take him away from his friends and his girlfriend, the only people that care about him now, just because of something that he accidentally did. Those lives he took should not be his fault. Orochimaru turned him into that monster, knowing damn well that Sasuke would be a bloodthirsty monster when he woke from death. Sasuke shouldn't escape all blame, but I plead that you don't take his life again. Let him redeem himself, at least."

There was whispering among the clan leaders as they thought about what Kakashi was saying. Tsunade caught Sasuke looking at Kakashi with a hint of surprise in his dark eyes; it seemed the boy had never thought his sensei cared so much about him. The counselors looked slightly peeved, but they kept their emotions hidden well.

"What have you to say about Bastet Mahado?" Homura asked.

"…I don't know her very well. She's usually in the home where the Americans are staying or at the Academy learning about being a ninja. But when I have been around her, she has been very quiet, shy, and observing. All I can really say about her is that she is a very nice girl who loves her brother like crazy. He's probably the only reason she managed to stay sane this whole time."

"…Thank you, Kakashi Hatake. You may take your seat," Koharu muttered. "The next person may stand up."

Kakashi sat down, and the father of a grieving family took the stand. He told the story of his dead sons that had been killed by Sasuke. They had been out playing in the rain when the Uchiha found them. He drained them both in the blink of an eye before the man could do anything and then the raven-haired boy ran off to find someone else to feast on. His kids had been five and eight. He still had a daughter, who was twelve, but she was so heartbroken that she had given up on being a ninja. His whole family was in an emotional turmoil now that the boys had been killed.

The same man walked past Sasuke as he returned to his seat. He stopped right in front of the boy and looked him right in the eye. The father growled something under his breath before striking Sasuke across the face with his hand. Practically everyone gasped. Sasuke slowly turned his face back to the father, and something unexpected happened. The Uchiha was crying! Hearing the story of some of his victims had torn him up inside and had made him cry.

"…I'm…so very sorry…I deserve more than…just a punch to the face. You all…should just kill me for all the pain I've caused you…I'm sorry…for what I did to your sons," Sasuke apologized, his voice coated with true sorrow and remorse.

The father saw and heard this, and his expression was that of a torn man. He quickly returned to his seat, shaken by Sasuke's emotional apology that hadn't been a lie at all.

Naruto took his place beside the counselors, ready to defend Sasuke and Bastet to the best of his ability. Tsunade wondered why Sakura had asked him, the loud-mouthed rude blonde who was always fighting with Sasuke, to speak on his behalf. Perhaps he was better friends with the Uchiha than he let on.

"Please tell us your relationship with Sasuke Uchiha," Homura said.

"Well, it's kinda complicated. In the Academy, he was the best student, and therefore the most popular. I hated him, and I guess the feeling was mutual. Then again, everyone hated me back then…but whatever. Then we were put on the same squad after graduating from the Academy. Things were pretty bad at first. We didn't work very well together… he thought he was always right and the best and I thought the same thing only about myself instead of him. And Sakura always took Sasuke's side, so I was always outnumbered. Then we went on that mission Kakashi-sensei brought up earlier and things got a little better. The Chuunin exams made us sorta like friends, what with all the life-or-death situations we got into and got out of. I wouldn't say we're the best of friends, but we're pretty darn close."

"So you guys were like rivals?" a clan leader concluded.

"Exactly. He just started off better than me, what with him being an Uchiha and all. I was always trying to catch up to him, but before he bit the dust, I'd say we were about equal in skill level."

"Were you ever jealous of Sasuke Uchiha?" a different clan leader wanted to know.

"What's that got to do with anything?" He caught Tsunade glaring at him for his outburst and sighed. "Of course I was jealous of him. He was _Sasuke Uchiha_, the boy every girl wanted to be with and every sensei admired. Who was I compared to him? I was Naruto Uzumaki…a prankster from a nothing clan with no skills whatsoever. Nobody liked me; everyone hated me, even the parents. Of course, there's a reason behind that…you all probably know what that is…But of course I was jealous of Sasuke. He was always better than me. It would take a special kind of person not to be jealous of a guy as great as him."

"You were there when Sasuke first met Orochimaru, correct?" When Naruto nodded, Danzo continued. "How did their first encounter proceed?"

"…Orochimaru was in the guise of a female Grass ninja, wearing her face like it was a Halloween mask. 'Course, at the time we didn't know that. We were in the Forest of Death when he approached Sasuke and Sakura. I had been separated from them because of one of his attacks and had been swallowed by a snake he summoned or something. I managed to get free…I entered the battle a little late. But he had Sasuke and Sakura scared for their lives. Before that, I had never seen Sasuke be afraid of anything. He was even willing to give up our Heaven scroll if it meant we got to keep our lives. Seeing that he was just like the rest of us made me resent him a little less. I fought off Orochimaru the best I could since he didn't scare me at all, but he did something freaky to me that knocked me out. After that, I'm not sure what happened. You'd have to ask Sakura about that cuz I was out for a really long time. But I'm pretty sure Sasuke beat him back before Orochimaru bit him the first time."

"How were you affected by Sasuke's death and him becoming a vampire?"

"…I'm not sure I can put into words what I felt when I heard that Sasuke wasn't going to make it. I guess the closest thing I can say to what I felt was…my heart was torn and sadness overwhelmed me. I did cry when Willow told this to me…I'm not afraid to admit it. Sakura was going to live, but Sasuke was going to die. You can't imagine what it felt like unless you were put in a similar situation. One of your friends was going to continue to live, but another was not. It…kinda makes you wonder if maybe…you could have taken the dying friend's place, you know…That's what I wished I could have done. Sasuke had so much to live for…What did I have, you know? But it didn't work out that way…things never do. His death wasn't peaceful in any way…that bastard Orochimaru made him come back a killer. I didn't like to find him in the forests of Konoha with a corpse in his hands…it tore me to pieces to see one of my friends doing such a thing. I wanted to capture him, to make him turn back into the friend I had known in life…or kill the thing that was a monster in the guise of my friend."

"What do you think we should do with Sasuke?" Koharu asked.

"…I think you should let him keep the crappy life he now has. But like Kakashi-sensei, I don't believe he should get off without some form of punishment. Perhaps you could make him do hard labor in the night, a year for every life he has taken. Or he could be in the dungeon for a year per life he took. I don't know…it's your decision in the end. But I hope, no, I pray…that you don't kill him again…not after he has just discovered everything he had to live for."

"And what have you to say about Bastet Mahado, if anything?"

"…I know her a little better than my sensei, and I also know her brother Atem. He and I have become good friends ever since he came over from the States. From what I've seen of her, she hates what a gang turned her into and has never forgotten the terrible deeds the beast within her has committed. You should have seen it when Anya caught a mouse in a trap and was going to kill it. She never wants to kill, not even the smallest life. She is a peaceful girl who was infected with evil by bad people. And if you take her away…Atem may never be the same. He might not even be able to function and keep Konoha safe at night. Heh…I wouldn't be surprised if he took his own life after she died. They are, after all, all they have left."

"Thank you, Naruto Uzumaki. You may be seated."

Another father came up to tell of what one of the prisoners had taken from his family. This time, the father had lost his wife to Sasuke and his brother to Bastet. Being a werewolf erased the terrible deeds from Bastet's mind, but having a soul brought them back to the Uchiha. He remembered the faces and placed the name with one of the women he had drained. As before, tears flooded his eyes and he apologized. This father did not strike him or Bastet; he just returned to his seat amongst the other clan leaders. Then Spike stood up to give his opinion, which could be either a good thing…or a terrible thing.

"…Spike, you are a vampire, correct?" Koharu inquired. When Spike replied that he was, she continued. "What does it truly mean to be a vampire? Will you please describe to us the purpose of your kind?"

" 's quite simple, really. Vampires are a type of demon, only we're tainted with human blood. No one's quite sure how it really happened, but one of our powerful ancestor vamps that wasn't in any way human made it outta hell and turned a human into one of his kind. Ever since then, human-vamps have been walking Earth, draining humans to live and turning others that are most appealing. The purpose of a vampire…the meaning of being a vampire…is to kill and create. We're meant to drink human blood, kill the humans, and change those that have the potential to do their job well."

"Was the first vampire…Count Dracula?"

"Pfft! Bloody hell no! Some writer just made that up cuz that bugger vamp paid him to. Most of that tale is fictional. The very first human-vampire is long dead by now. Like I said before, no one knows how my kind really came 'bout."

"You say the purpose of vampires is to seek out humans that could have the potential to 'kill and create'. Are you therefore saying that Dracula thought that Orochimaru possessed that potential, and in turn Orochimaru saw that potential in Sasuke?"

"…In a manner of saying, yes. But you already had that snake on your list. He was a killer long before Dracula swapped blood with him. And that bugger was always obsessed with Sasuke, right? Perhaps he wanted the boy to remain young forever while he molested the lil' bit, cuz we all know that bastard was going to abduct Sasuke sooner or later. Orochimaru's obsession with Sasuke was probably not all for desire of lending power, let me tell you. The way he looked at the boy told all."

"Are you saying Sasuke didn't have any killing potential?"

"No. I'm saying Orochimaru was a bloody pedophile that deserved to be killed…again."

"Mr. Spike, please stay on topic."

Spike sighed. "All right. Sasuke did have a killing potential. Everyone has a killing potential. Some just have a stronger one than others. Those who can kill when told are who you hire to be your ninjas or soldiers or doctors. Those who lack the ability to kill are your average, run-of-the-mill villagers. Those who don't know when to stop killing are your crazies and murderers and serial killers and some doctors. Sasuke fits in more with the first thing I said. He was a ninja, and still is."

"If his killing potential was of that level, then why did he kill twenty people?"

"…There is a vast difference between vampires that have been around for a few years and one that has just been turned. Hell, there's even a difference between a vampire that has existed for a couple weeks and a newborn vamp. When a person first becomes a vampire, they are consumed with a bloodlust that is unstoppable. This bloodlust drives them to kill every living thing in sight and gorge on its blood. Every newborn vampire is overwhelmed and unable to stop themselves from killing. And besides that, they have lost their souls and don't care that they're killing. The bloodlust only goes away when the newborn can no longer swallow any more blood. Then they gain control of what they have become, and they kill less…for the most part. As always, it depends on the vampire. But the bloodlust can last from three to seven days, maybe even longer."

"Was the number of lives Sasuke took average for a newborn vampire?"

"In one night, maybe. He actually killed much less than his predecessors. And his bloodlust faded away in less than twenty-four hours. As far as vampires go, that's remarkable. Things could have been a lot worse. More people in your village could be dead if he didn't gain control."

"Why aren't you like Sasuke? Why haven't you killed any humans since coming to Konoha?"

"Cuz the military got a hold of me over in the States and put a bloody chip into my head. If I so much as touch a human with the intent of killing 'em, I get a very painful sensation in my head. Can't kill normal people without causing myself immense pain. Demons, other vampires, werewolves…now those things I can kill."

"So you don't have a soul?"

"No, sir. Can't say that I do. But I don't need one so long as this bloody chip remains in my brain and my heart belongs to a Slayer. So you don't need to worry your head off about me suddenly going crazy and killing everyone. That'll never happen."

"And you have no opinion when it comes to werewolves and Bastet Mahado, do you?"

"Not really. Werewolves are a pain and I hardly know Lil' Bit's friend, so whatever I say won't be very helpful to anyone."

"Thank you, Spike. You may return to your seat."

Another grieving family member stood to tell their story about how she (that's right, I said _she_) had lost her husband to Bastet. They had just married less than a year ago, and he was already gone. They hadn't even had any kids yet, though it was obvious the woman was heavily pregnant. Her child would grow up fatherless because of Bastet when she was an out-of-control werewolf. Bastet said nothing, but the expression on her face told all that she felt about this: remorse and sadness. The widow sat again, and Oz stood.

"Oz, what have you to say about either prisoner?"

"…I can't really say much about Sasuke. He was never around when I was and vice versa, so we didn't get to know each other very well. But I can say a lot about Bastet."

"What is your past and your relationship with Bastet Mahado?"

"Just like her, I am a werewolf, though I have been so for quite a bit longer. In the States, I did kill a few times, and I'll admit I wasn't proud of that. When I found out what I was, I figured out when the full moons would be and chained myself up so I couldn't do anyone any harm. It didn't always work, but it was better than nothing. Eventually my curse forced me to leave my friends…I didn't see them until I came here to help them with the new Slayer and to slay demons.

"It was here that I met Bastet for the first time. She caught my eye, I'll admit it. But her personality is not one of someone who would kill. She's sweet, kind, shy…but she can stand her own if need be. Ever since we received the way to control the werewolf from the Council that is in control of the Slayers and Watchers, she has become a much better person. As Naruto has pointed out already, she hated to kill. In time, we became friends …and perhaps even more than that."

"So you're a werewolf as well? And you never killed anyone while in Konoha?"

"…Not any humans. During the night, I have killed…but only demons and the like."

"What exactly is the way to control the werewolf?"

"It's this silver collar that both me and Bastet are wearing around our necks. The collar grants us the ability to control ourselves when the full moon turns us into the wolf. We don't have to kill anymore. We can use the wolf to do good for Konoha. We can even speak English when we turn into our werewolf form. But the collar pretty much makes us not evil, in a manner of speaking."

"Has it ever failed?"

"No, not that I know of."

"Oz, before you had the collar, what was it like to be a werewolf?"

"…To be honest, werewolves can't remember being the beast. They can't remember who they killed…they can't remember where they've gone…they can't remember anything on the night of the full moon. When morning came, I would wake up without anything on and wonder what I had done the night before and if I had killed anyone. Being a werewolf was never a walk in the park…it was a very hard life."

"So you're saying that you can't remember killing and neither can Bastet?"

"That's correct."

"Because Bastet Mahado cannot remember killing people, do you think she should be spared from any kind of punishment?"

"…No. Even if you can't remember murdering anyone, it's no excuse. She shouldn't be killed for it necessarily…but she should face some kind of punishment. Forgive me for saying this, Bastet. You know that I speak the truth. I should have back in the States…but they never caught me and I feel bad for that."

"Thank you, Oz. You may take your seat."

A young woman around the age of twenty took the stand after him. Bastet had killed her father one night, and the following night she killed the woman's mother. Then Sasuke had sank his teeth into her older brother, a Jounin (Sasuke's last kill), and before that he had killed her younger brothers. She had no more immediate family because of both people, and she was now living with an aunt and uncle who already had their hands full with five children. As before, Sasuke apologized with tear-filled eyes, but this time he added that he too knew what it felt like to lose an entire family though it wasn't an excuse for what he had done. Bastet remained silent, though her expression was very remorseful. The woman returned to her seat and Atem stood.

"Atem, you are Bastet Mahado's younger brother, correct?"

"That is correct, sir."

"How was Bastet before she was bitten?"

"…She was just as the others have described her. Bastet was always too kind for her own good…as a child, I often took advantage of that. We grew up without our parents…they had died a few years ago when a crazy man with a gun held up a store and shot them along with three other people. She was always very protective of me because she was the oldest by one year…We were all we had since those years. School was difficult for both of us…you know, because we were of a different color than most people in our classes. Even New York was a bit racist. She was the best sister anyone could hope for, and we never thought we would lose each other.

"Then she wanted to take a break from the city life of NYC, to clear her lungs of the smog. Bastet came to Konoha to take in its beauty, expecting to be gone for only a few days and then she would come back. But then she was attacked by a werewolf gang, though I didn't know this at the time, and she didn't return. She probably couldn't have returned even if she wanted to. She was afraid of what I would think of her…that was why she made no attempt to contact me. For over a month, I was left in the dark, thinking that something had happened to her and she was most likely dead."

"She kept you in the dark all of this time. What did you while you thought she was dead?"

"…I gave up on everything. Mostly I just stayed home or roamed the streets at night, hoping that she might just pop out of nowhere and be back. That never happened…but being a nightwalker helped me to become so good at slaying demons and vampires. I ended up joining a group of freelance slayers that kept New York safe from the few undead menaces that lived in the city. That was how I became such a master of slaying in Konoha. Two months after she had disappeared, she called and admitted to me what had happened to her. I came here for her…and because my friends told me it would be best for the world if I came to the Hellmouth and took care of the demons."

"Did you ever think about killing your sister because of what she was?"

"…When she first told me she was a werewolf…yes. I did think about killing her. That was what I had been trained to do. But…I could never kill her…she was all I had left of my family. She was Bastet…my sweet sister who cried when I used a shoe to kill a spider and brought flowers to our parents' graves every month. She couldn't have been the kind of monster I had been trained to kill. There was no way…I knew that in my heart."

"But you came to Konoha armed for killing. Was that not because you wanted to kill her?"

"…No, it was not. The plane I had boarded was full of demons…I needed to protect myself so I could arrive with my life. I do have a crossbow that was loaded with silver bolts…but that was only if she wasn't in control of the werewolf and was a threat to me or other humans. I never really planned on using it on her…Even if the need arose, I probably wouldn't have been able to shoot her dead."

"Do you believe that Bastet is completely and utterly responsible for the lives she has taken? We ask you to answer this as a freelance slayer, not as her brother."

"…I am taught to say that every demon is responsible for the lives they have taken, regardless of if they remember taking it or not. Werewolves are considered demons…the only werewolf in Konoha that hasn't killed anyone would be Rock Lee and that would make him the exception. But yes, Bastet is responsible for the lives she has taken. She should be punished for it…but not as severely as taking her life."

"You're giving her special treatment? If she were any other werewolf, you would have killed her by now."

"But she's not any other werewolf. She's my sister. And as her brother, I beg you not to take her life. She is…all that I have left…" Tears were in his crimson eyes for the first time that anyone had seen. Even Bastet had hardly ever seen him cry.

"Thank you, Atem Mahado. You are free to go if you wish."

Another man told his story about losing a family member to Sasuke, his oldest son who was married with a daughter. His son's wife and daughter had been too sad to come and tell their story. Sasuke apologized, but the man just glared at him and cursed his name before returning to his seat. Buffy stood and took her place beside the counselors.

"I don't want anyone asking me questions because I don't know these people as well as I should. But I have something to say that I hope you all will hear. Sasuke Uchiha and Bastet Mahado are not bad people. They've done more for Konoha in the past few months than most of you have done in your entire lives. I'm sorry if they took a family member away from you, but that wasn't their fault. It was Orochimaru and Haru and Daisuke and the other werewolf's faults. They turned these two into monsters against their will. We would punish those four if we could, but they are all dead. Sasuke and Bastet should not be completely at fault for this. And to be honest, I cannot see why the counselors have chosen now to come at them for these crimes. It's been weeks since Sasuke has had the bloodlust, and it's been even longer since Bastet became a werewolf. Their timing seems a bit peculiar, don't you think? I'm done now. The next person can come up to tell us their story."

No one came up after Buffy spoke. They were all considering what she had said about the counselors' timing. When she was sure no one else was about to stand, Sakura got to her feet and went over to the spot everyone else had stood.

"I am the Slayer, the reason that so many demons have come to Konoha and the reason the Hellmouth moved. Buffy died and a higher power decided I should take her place in saving the world. I, along with a handful of other ninjas and people, have been keeping Konoha safe from the evil creatures that walk the Earth under the cover of darkness. Sasuke was one of the people that was helping me. That was why he was killed. He was always protecting me…always trying to keep me safe from harm. He wouldn't have fought Orochimaru if that wasn't true. He died because he wanted to stop that snake from getting me…and Orochimaru just managed to get him.

"Sasuke was always the strongest member of our squad besides Kakashi-sensei…I was the weakest and the greatest weakness our squad possessed. Even Naruto, the graduate with the lowest scores…was stronger than me. Becoming the Slayer made me smarter, stronger, and more powerful. I didn't need to be protected so much. 'Course, that wasn't the case when I first encountered vampires. These marks on my neck are proof enough of that." She pulled her hair to the side to show the bite marks that still hadn't completely disappeared even after all this time. "But that was before. I am now equal with the members of my squad. We protect one another not because someone's weak, but because we are a team.

"You asked Naruto how Sasuke's first encounter with Orochimaru proceeded. I will tell you more than he could. That snake had us scared, had Sasuke unable to fight because of his fear. But after Naruto was knocked unconscious and almost plunged to his death, Sasuke got his fighting spirit back. You'll have to pardon my language for this next line, but Sasuke pretty much kicked Orochimaru's ass in their fight. If he had been any other person, Orochimaru would have died that day. But he didn't. He shot his head at Sasuke and bit him right on the neck. Sasuke…he cried out in pain from what Orochimaru had done to him…That was the first time Sasuke had ever really needed me. He held my hand as he fought the pain…his grip was so tight…and then he became unconscious. With him and Naruto both out, I was left to protect them. It was very hard…especially when the three Sound ninja showed up to kill him. Rock Lee came to help, but he got beaten badly. I took a beating for Sasuke…because I didn't want Zaku or Dosu or Kin to kill him. Squad 10 and Team Gai came to my rescue before I could be killed, but it was Sasuke in the end that made them leave…The way he did it wasn't exactly good, but it worked. That whole thing brought me and Sasuke closer together…as did some other trials we faced afterwards.

"When Sasuke first became a vampire…I wasn't aware of it. I was in the hospital trying to stay alive myself. I woke up the day after. Buffy and Spike told me what had happened while I was unconscious. After hearing what a monster he had become…I jumped out the hospital window and ran through the rain to find him. You…you wouldn't understand why I had done this unless you loved him as much as I did. I wanted to save him from this evil Orochimaru had infected him with…or if it was impossible, I wanted to be the one to kill him. It was only fair. So I tracked him down, following a small trail of bodies he had left behind…and found him in a tree near the bridge Squad Seven often met at. When I found him…he was no longer in the bloodlust. He was just like the Sasuke I had known…or pretty damn close. I asked him why he wasn't trying to kill me once we were face-to-face. He replied that he could never kill me…because he knew me, unlike the people he had killed…and another reason that he was too prideful to admit at the time. I gave him two options: to come with me to get his soul back or to die. He admitted he was afraid to get his soul back because of his vampiric instincts, and that he was even afraid of me because of who I was. He even said his soul probably wouldn't come back and it would be better to kill him then so he could never hurt anyone ever again.

"You can't imagine what state I fell into when I heard him say that. Sasuke, the boy I had loved for years…now wanted me to take a stake and stab him through the heart with it. It was my duty as Slayer to kill supernatural threats…but my heart wanted to go against duty. I tried to kill him…he closed his eyes and waited for the death blow. But I…I couldn't do it. The stake fell from my hand and clattered on the bridge. He was surprised to find that I didn't kill him. I went to leave him, feeling like a failure, but he grabbed me and turned me around to face him. At first…I foolishly thought he was going to bite me…but he didn't. Instead he…well…you know. After that, we returned home, changed, and then we talked. He promised to come with me to Willow and get his soul back. And he did, with a few minor complications on my part.

"Ever since then, Sasuke has worked hard to keep Konoha safe. He can't even resume his normal ninja training, but he doesn't let that get him down. He just trains in his mansion all day in order to become better than his possible opponents. Sasuke knows he has killed, and every day he remembers their faces and it tears him up. But he is trying to be one of the good vampires, trying to stop anyone else from dying. Can't you forgive him, or at least go easy on him? He's lost so much…I've lost so much…Please. Don't take him away…please.

"As for Bastet, I met her in the dungeon where Tsunade was keeping her. Bastet had been taken there after an attack the previous night that had resulted in Rock Lee being bitten and another werewolf dying. That werewolf was one of the bad ones, so he didn't really matter. But she was a good person who has done everything she could to keep Konoha safe from others like the gang that was after her. You shouldn't take her away from her brother and Oz. They don't deserve to face such pain again."

With that, Sakura returned to where she had been sitting. The counselors looked a little irate when once again no one stood to talk trash about Sasuke or Bastet. Tsunade smiled a grim smile, glad that this trial was backfiring on the counselors but also upset because of the losses her village had faced. Danzo stood to give closing words.

"The people have spoken. Now it is up to you, the clan leaders, to decide the fates of Bastet Mahado and Sasuke Uchiha. The counselors, anyone who is not head of their clan, the Hokage, and I shall leave you to make your decision," Danzo said.

The counselors, Tsunade, Shizune, Giles, and the others filed out of the room to give the clan leaders their privacy. The ANBU also escorted the prisoners out so the clans would not be pressured to choose a certain path. Bastet was now having trouble staying on her legs; the silver was hurting her so much, she looked as if she was going to faint any moment. The ANBU did nothing to help keep her standing, so Atem walked passed them despite their threats and put an arm around her waist to keep her from falling. She managed a smile at him, but was in too much pain to say anything else.

"You should take the silver off of her. She may be a werewolf, but she doesn't possess any more strength than a normal human. Bastet will not hurt anyone," Tsunade insisted. "Trade her restraints for something that won't kill her."

The ANBU complied. The one that had captured Sasuke removed the silver restraints and put on normal steel ones instead. Bastet sighed, relieved to not be in pain anymore. Koharu, Homura, and Danzo were not pleased by this, but held their tongues on the matter because they were already on Tsunade's bad list for daring to challenge her authority with this trial.

"Sakura, I must ask for you and the others to leave. You have done what you can for your friends; the rest is up to the people. I will send someone to inform you of their decision," Tsunade told her.

"All right, Lady Tsunade. I will see you later," Sakura murmured. She came over to Sasuke and pecked him on his burnt cheek. "Goodbye, Sasuke-kun."

Tsunade watched the others go. Shizune remained loyally at her side, but the Hokage told her to go as well. There was something she needed to say to the counselors without anyone else hearing her. Reluctantly, her dark-haired right-hand woman left her lady's side to return to the Hokage's office. Once she was gone, Tsunade spoke.

"What was the real reason you called this trial?" she demanded. This question not only shocked Sasuke and Bastet, but also the ANBU that were guarding them.

"What do you mean by that? We were trying to invoke justice upon these criminals that you have let walk freely. You didn't care about the lives they took at all. We were trying to let their families rest easily with the thoughts that these murderers would not go unpunished," Koharu muttered, glaring at Tsunade.

"How dare you accuse me of not caring about the lives Sasuke and Bastet took! I do care! I know the people in this village better than you, for I have seen almost every one of them in the hospital or the morgue! I work my ass off day in and day out while you sit on yours and get fat! You only come into the picture when something doesn't go the way you wished for it to!" Tsunade exclaimed. "Sasuke and Bastet have done more good than evil for this village! Can you say the same?"

"You dare question and mock the council?" Koharu growled. "We have never done a single thing wrong. You have faltered, Tsunade, several times. You have many debts because of your addiction to gambling, you have killed, you deserted the village. Jiraiya still thought you were fit enough to be Hokage, which is probably the only reason you are in that position. But to let two criminals walk freely after killing over thirty of the villagers…that is your worse blunder. We should strip you of the title Hokage right now."

"Don't act like you've never made a mistake! What about the mission that was assigned to Itachi Uchiha six years ago by you three and the Third Hokage? And what you, Danzo, have tried to do after that mission?" Tsunade countered.

Sasuke's eyes widened at the mention of his brother's name. What were they talking about? What mission did they assign Itachi before he massacred the Uchiha clan?

"…How do you know about that?" Danzo wanted to know.

"The Third Hokage left notes for the next Hokage. It seems he didn't want the mission to fade away from the world like it was meant to. Perhaps he didn't want you three to have as much power over the survivor as you thought. But as long as I know of what you intend to do with the survivor, Danzo, you cannot do anything to him or me. So you might as well back off before I'm forced to strip the three of _you_ of your positions," Tsunade threatened. "We've been needing new counselors for some time from the looks of it, anyway."

Koharu and Danzo looked ready to rebuke, but Homura stopped them with just a glance. The old man and old woman left the hall a bit angry, and Tsunade walked opposite of them as she no longer wanted to be near those horrible people. Danzo lingered a moment more to whisper something to Sasuke.

"Itachi might have made me promise not to harm you while you were still alive…but now that you're dead, there's hardly anything stopping me."

Sasuke turned to glare at the old man with the scar, but Danzo was already leaving the way his fellow counselors had gone. Everything was becoming a bit confusing, but one thing was for sure. He didn't know everything about the massacre and Itachi, and Danzo was after him.

What fun.

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_A/N: Very, very, very long chapter. It was a little boring...sorry. What did you think? Please tell me. Thank you for reading._


	20. Chapter 20

_A/N: I haven't updated this thing in months because of lack of motivation...and for that, I apologize. Here, at long last, is the twentieth chapter. Please read on._

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Chapter 20

The verdict of the clan leaders was in favor of the Slayers and company. Sasuke and Bastet would not be killed, but they wouldn't get away with their unintentional crimes because the people still deserved peace of mind for losing their loved ones. For the lives they had taken, they would have to work for the victims' families for however long they saw fit. Restitution, in other words. The vampire and the werewolf had their limits-Sasuke could only work at night or on dark days and Bastet could work on any occasion where there was no full moon. But, with all things considered, they got off pretty easy.

Sakura was overjoyed when she heard the news and couldn't stop herself form hugging the crap out of Sasuke upon his escorted return to the Uchiha mansion. He forced a smile onto his face and returned the gesture, though he wasn't as happy as he should have been. How could he be happy when he had caused so many people so much pain? And to top it off, Tsunade and Danzo had confused him about things left buried in the past about Itachi and the Uchiha Massacre. The way she had put it, it seemed like the elders had _assigned_ Itachi to the _mission_ of killing off the entire clan. Danzo complicated the matter even more with his cryptic threat.

"_**Itachi might have made me promise not to harm you while you were still alive…but now that you're dead, there's hardly anything stopping me."**_

What had he meant by that? Why would Itachi have made Danzo make such a promise if he was indeed the cold-hearted killer that massacred his entire clan just to 'measure his capacity'? It didn't add up. Sasuke resolved to ask Tsunade about it later…and not reveal any of this to Sakura. She had enough to worry about without him adding his problems to the mix.

It might have been better if he had told Sakura about it since he knew that Danzo was trying to send him to the grave for good, but he believed he could handle that old bat.

As for Bastet, she was worried about him…but was too busy apologizing for her ignorance to her brother to give the vampire another thought. Atem was too happy to see her spared that he could never hate her for ignoring him, and instead he hugged her tightly and wouldn't let go until she stopped with her apologetic ranting. Then he handed her off to Oz, who was so happy that he couldn't stop himself from embracing her passionately. She didn't mind that at all…if anything, she enjoyed it.

But no one would see Bastet or Sasuke for awhile. Tsunade had already found their first family that they would have to stay with and work for…and they would be leaving the next day. There was no telling when they would return. It could be weeks, months, or even years…and as always, there was a chance the families might try to take the law into their own hands and kill Bastet and Sasuke themselves. Those two couldn't let their guard down for a second or they might wind up six feet under.

* * *

Hinata was out being the Slayer for this night with her squad. Sakura, Sasuke, Bastet, Atem, and Oz were not out on this particular night for personal reasons. One was leaving before dawn to in order to avoid being dusty when he arrived at one of his victims' homes and his girlfriend wanted to spend as much time as she possibly could with him before he went away. The other girl would be leaving later in the morning, and her brother and boyfriend were spending their last night with her since they had no idea when they would be getting back. Everyone else was about on the streets and in the forests, looking for the undead or evil fiends that might terrorize Konoha.

The group of people that Hinata was hunting with tonight consisted of Naruto, Tara, and Xander. They were connected to the others via wireless headset like they had been for a good long while since the beginning of their slaying outings. Hinata was deep in the forests, near the border of Konoha and a neighboring village. Not many baddies came around here usually, but one could never be too careful, especially since the Sound village was completely made of vampires. There was no telling what the other villages had fallen victim to, and it was better to be prepared than caught offguard.

Hinata sighed silently as she gazed bashfully over at Naruto, who was sitting up on a tree branch with his eyes closed; she couldn't tell if he was asleep or not, but he looked peaceful enough. She hated to admit it, but she was completely jealous of everyone around her. They were coupled and happy-Xander with Anya, Ino with Rock Lee, Kurenai with Asuma, Kakashi with Anko, Willow with Tara, Bastet with Oz, Giles with Tsunade, and Sakura with Sasuke. Even those that weren't together had either once been or were too afraid to be. She wished that she could find a happy relationship like that…and with a certain blonde boy whom she had been crushing on forever. But he had been too worried about the members of his squad to see what was right in front of him. And besides, what would he see in her? Sure, she was a Slayer, but so was Sakura and Buffy. What made her stand apart from them?

Bored, she swung around her staff-sword-half of it was wood that ended at a point, and the other half was a silver blade-while feeling sorry for herself. She was brave enough to face the supernatural every night of her life…but still too cowardly to admit her feelings for Naruto. Even being Slayer didn't give her that confidence boost. Would she ever be able to admit her feelings? She didn't think so.

"I'm not going to go back to the Academy," Tara grumbled, crossing her arms as she leaned against a nearby tree. She was angry for some reason unknown to Hinata, for Hinata was not in the Academy. Apparently, Tara had turned her headset off because her voice could not be heard over it.

"…Why would you want to do something like that? The Academy has only made you stronger," Xander pointed out. "Look, if this is going to be about Willow and Iruka again, I think you're just jealous. Those two are nothing more than friends…though the latter of them might wish differently. But Willow loves you, not him."

"If that's true, she has a funny way of showing it," Tara muttered. "Her eyes are always on _him_ and she's always trying to get away to go see _him_. She doesn't spend any time with me anymore. It's always Iruka, Iruka, Iruka."

"She tries to spend time with you, but you keep pushing her away with the excuse that you have to teach Ino," Xander remarked.

"I only do that because she is always going after that man," Tara countered.

"No. You only do that because you're jealous and afraid that you might lose your girlfriend to a guy," Xander shot back.

Tara did not respond to that. Instead, she turned her back to him and put distance between them so she wouldn't have to say any more on the subject. Hinata looked at her with a mixture of pity and confusion. She had thought that Willow and Tara were happy together. It seemed she was wrong. And her former teacher, Iruka, was to blame for the sudden lapse in their relationship? Was Willow really falling for him? Perhaps it would have been better if the red-head had never begun training to be a ninja. Then she and Tara would still be happy together.

Xander noticed Hinata's gaze and shrugged. He had no idea how to solve this, either.

The purple-haired girl heard something in the forest behind her and turned to face the impending danger. Her Byakugan eye revealed that three people with no life force were coming their way. There was no telling whether or not they were ninja, but it was better to not take any chances. Without turning back, she gestured to Xander and Tara. Naruto must have heard what she had heard, for he was already standing at her side with his stake pulled out.

The figures stopped ten feet from the four slayers. They all bore the Sound insignia on them, identifying them as Sound vampires. But they didn't look like they wanted to fight. Rather, they looked like they would prefer to stand there all night. Their faces weren't even pulled out in the vampiric manner. What was their deal?

"Who are you? What are you doing in the Leaf village?" Naruto demanded, taking charge.

The female with glasses who looked about his age barely glanced at him. "We came to warn you about Count Dracula. He has taken over the Sound and is using Kabuto to get the people to obey him. He plans on capturing all the Slayers in the world and kill them all in one big attack…even those that aren't Slayers right now. He works for the First Evil. In return for killing the Slayers and the Potentials, the First promised to allow him to have vampire babies. Evil shall take over if you don't do something to stop Dracula."

"…You were a servant of Orochimaru. Why would you want to warn us about his plans?" Xander asked.

The male teen with sharp teeth sneered. "Orochimaru is dead…and we refuse to follow anyone else. This guy can't just take over wherever he wants. I plan on killing that bastard to show him that he's not the greatest bloodsucker in the world."

"What he means is that we never really wanted to become vampires in the first place," the other guy who seemed to be older than the other two said. "This whole no life thing is not what we wanted to be when we joined Orochimaru. What we wanted…was to become stronger. That's it. We never wanted anything like this. And now that we've escaped from the Sound, we're in more danger than ever."

"…Who are you guys exactly?" Hinata wanted to know.

"My name is Karin. This is Jugo and Suigetsu," the girl introduced.

"We formed Team Hebi…that wasn't supposed to be complete until Orochimaru managed to reel in that Sasuke kid," Suigetsu muttered.

"So you were meant to serve Sasuke whenever he decided to join the Sound? Heh. You would have been waiting a very long time for him then. Someone is keeping him here that he would never betray by going there," Naruto stated.

A nerve throbbed in Suigetsu's forehead. "I would never serve ANYONE except Orochimaru! We were supposed to work with him, you moron!"

"I would find it easier to believe your story if you weren't wearing those Sound headbands," Tara remarked.

"Crap! We forgot about those!" Karin hissed, pulling hers off and tossing it to the ground. "You forget about a lot of things when you're running for your undead life from the Sisters, you know."

Hinata's heart skipped a beat. "…You mean…Dracula's brides followed you here?"

Jugo gave a small nod. "We did lose them a bit when the sun came out since it takes a few days to get from the Sound to here…but they'll arrive sooner or later."

"I wanted to kill them, too, but Jugo wouldn't let me turn around and show them what's what," Suigetsu grumbled, crossing his arms.

Hinata quickly relayed the information about the Sisters to the other people that were out slaying that night. Shikamaru, Dawn, Buffy, and Kakashi told her to stay put; they would be there soon. Karin seemed to hear something, as did her comrades, for they turned towards the direction in which they had come from and drew whatever weapon they had on them. Hinata could see, with her Byakugan, three fast-moving dead people coming towards the group and she held her staff-sword at the ready.

A dagger came flying out of nowhere; it was obviously not meant to kill the vampires. It missed Hinata by a few centimeters because of quick movement on her part and instead embedded itself in a tree. Even with her Byakugan, Hinata was having trouble keeping up with the movements of those vampires. She began to panic on the inside and struggled to keep that from showing on the outside. These Sisters were unlike any other vampire she had faced.

Another dagger came flying out, followed by two others. Hinata deflected them with the silver blade of her staff-sword as the Sisters decided to step out of the shadows. They were inhumanly beautiful and wearing pure white gowns that were outdated, even in Europe. Their faces were vamped out and they looked a little less than pissed that their prey had gotten this far without being caught. They looked even madder when they discovered their prey was with one of the three Slayers. The gleam in their eyes only spoke of one thing: death.

Death to Team Hebi, death to the Slayer.

They were gone in the blink of an eye, only to reappear behind Hinata. She ducked down to avoid their claws and stabbed backwards in an attempt to hurt them. The wood got one in the arm, but she was mostly unfazed by it. She rolled out of the way to avoid their attacks at her on the ground. Naruto did the Shadow Clone Jutsu and pounced at the Sisters with multiple stakes. What he was hoping to accomplish with that was beyond her; all of his Clones were knocked back with a force that destroyed them when they hit anything. The real Naruto collided with a tree and hit his head pretty hard, but not enough to knock him out. Xander did hand signs of his own while Hinata kept the Sisters busy, and when he finished, vines from the surrounding forestry reached out to grab the Sisters. This was a jutsu he had created during his free time when Anya didn't want to see him, and it worked to a point. The Sisters were wrapped in the vines and unable to move…for about a minute. Somehow they managed to break free of their restraints and lunged at Hinata, almost securely their teeth on her throat.

But then Suigetsu knocked them back with his executioner's blade and stopped them from taking away a Slayer.

Jugo grabbed one of the Sisters after Suigetsu had knocked her back and threw her into a tree just as she had done with Naruto. The impact didn't hurt her as much as it had the blonde, but the splintering wood caused her an immense amount of pain that Naruto had escaped. With her out of the way, Jugo and Suigetsu focused on the other Sisters and staying alive. Karin was too busy cowering behind the bushes to be of any help at that moment. Hinata got to her feet and rushed to Naruto; the Sister was just below him on the tree and no doubt she would go after him when she managed to overcome her pain.

Sure enough, the Sister sensed his heartbeat above and was already standing where he was, about to sink her fangs into his throat while he was too weak to stop her. Hinata grabbed her from behind and pushed her away from Naruto. Then she attempted to stake her in the heart, but the Sister moved just enough for the point to miss. She cried out in pain because the wood still hurt as she moved the weapon out of her. Vampire blood dripped from the wound. The Sister turned her evil glare upon Hinata before roaring and disappearing in the blink of an eye. She joined the other Sisters, who had knocked back their opponents and were now standing in a small circle, hissing over their multiple injuries.

They whispered below audible hearing, formulating a plan of attack to take out all of these 'nuisances' as they called them. The Sisters were heavily armed with those daggers, so perhaps they could go fast enough with their throwing to take out their whole problem. The vampires wouldn't be killed by the metal…but they could be severely injured by it long enough for a Sister to steal one of the slayers' wooden weapons and put an end to those traitors.

Suigetsu, Jugo, and Karin heard their plan.

"Everyone get down!" Karin screamed just seconds before the assault.

The Sisters spun around really fast, throwing their many daggers out in every direction in order to 'kill' everyone. Hinata hadn't had time to get down and neither had Naruto, so she used her body as a shield to protect Naruto while a chakra barrier prevented her from receiving deathblows. Xander had hid fast enough behind a tree, so therefore he managed to avoid being injured. He wasn't alone; Jugo and Suigetsu used their vampiric speed to get back there as well. Kakashi, Shikamaru, and Dawn, who had been coming upon the group at that time, managed to seek cover before receiving severe injury.

But not everyone was that lucky.

This became evident when the Sisters ran out of daggers.

Tara had many of their weapons sticking out of her, but only one had really done her in. This one had its point sticking out of her back; it had entered through her chest where her heart was. Her body had hit the ground and a pool of blood was forming under her from her multiple wounds. There was no need to check…she was definitely dead. Buffy had also been hit by a random dagger, but it hadn't hit her in the heart. Not that it wasn't pretty damn close. She was also on the ground, struggling to keep her eyes open and stay alive.

Tears formed in Hinata's eyes as she looked upon the destruction those Sisters had caused. Her own wounds were nothing compared to those two girls. Anger rushed up inside of her; she had to make them pay for taking Tara away and hurting Buffy. Her hands were gripping her staff-sword tightly, and before Naruto could stop her, she made a giant leap from that branch they were on towards the Sisters.

She made sure the blade got them all as she swung it at the dead women.

They screamed in agony from the pain Hinata had inflicted upon them. Her blade had gotten one of the Sisters' arms chopped off, severely marred another's face, and nearly took off the head of the last. It was not safe for them to stay a moment longer. They needed to get back to the Sound village where they'd be safe and drink some human blood where their undead lives would not be in danger. To everyone's relief, they disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Unfortunately, the damage had already been done.

Karin smelled the spilled blood of several humans, but it was particularly strong around two. One had no life left and the other, one of the Slayers, was pretty close to being the same. Someone needed to act fast if there was to be just one casualty. Quickly, she rushed over to the dying Slayer. A brunette girl who might have been her sister was crying next to her; a brunette boy was keeping her back while a gray-haired Jounin checked over the Slayer's vital signs. They all looked up at Karin, but she didn't care. She rolled up her sleeve and put her arm up to the blonde Slayer's mouth. Her other hand gripped the dagger that was embedded in the Slayer's chest.

"As soon as I pull this out, I want you to bite me," Karin told the blonde. "My chakra will heal you and prevent you from dying."

Buffy didn't respond, but Karin knew that if she wanted to live, she would do what she was told. Karin counted to three before yanking the dagger out of the Slayer. As soon as the blade was out, Buffy sank her teeth into Karin's arm. The girl bit her lip to keep from crying out; that Slayer bit very hard. Her chakra healed Buffy's wound and kept her from losing her life, just as Karin had said.

"…Who are you?" Dawn asked when Buffy finally let go of Karin.

"…A friend who is going to make sure those murderers don't get away with what they did here," Karin replied, helping Buffy to stand.

"What do you mean? Did they manage to kill someone?" Shikamaru inquired.

Karin nodded. "The brunette woman that was with the other Slayer."

Dawn's eyes widened. "No! Tara!"

She ran towards the body, which was already surrounded by Xander and the other two vampires, with Shikamaru on her heels. Naruto was comforting a crying and bleeding Hinata who was far too emotional to deal with death. Buffy and Kakashi remained where they were standing with Karin, who was looking down at the ground.

"…We just tried to get away from Count Dracula and warn Konoha of his plans…I'm sorry we couldn't stop the Sisters from taking her life," she murmured morosely.

"It's all right…It wasn't your fault," Buffy said with a tear rolling down her face.

"Kakashi, what's going on over there?" Willow's voice wanted to know. Her voice was evidence enough that she hadn't heard most of what had been said.

The sensei sighed and closed his eyes. "…I'm sorry…Tara is dead."

At first, Willow was in total denial. Her sadness could be heard clearly in her voice as she fought to keep her tears at bay…which she failed at. Then she was full of self-pity and blamed herself for all of this. If she hadn't been crushing on Iruka so much, then she might have been in Tara's group and could have protected her. This was all part of the grieving process.

But then she did something that wasn't really part of grieving at all.

She went all dark witch on everyone.

Only the people with her saw the change in her physique-the dark hair and eyes and veins sticking out of her face. But everyone else could feel the change. And they were afraid of what Willow would do.

"Those bitches are gonna die for what they did. And so will their master," Willow stated evilly before her end went dead and she disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"Oh shit, we're in trouble now," Xander remarked.

He didn't even know the half of it.

* * *

_A/N: The end of a sorta short chapter. Yeah, I changed the way that Tara died...and it was kinda lame, but with all these changes in the storyline, it couldn't be helped. What did you think? Please tell me. Thank you for reading._


	21. Chapter 21

_A/N: No new reviews...but I guess that's what I should expect since this story was dead for so long. I'll continue it, anyway. Here's the next chapter. Please read on._

* * *

Chapter 21

Karin was left standing outside the building where the Hokage's office was with Jugo and Suigetsu while the story of the attack was told. She couldn't help but feel partly responsible for Tara's death. If she hadn't been afraid of the Sisters and wasn't cowering behind a bush, she could have shielded Tara from the daggers and no one would have died. But she was a coward when it came to facing those stronger than her alone, and now it was too late to change what had happened.

"…I told you it was a bad idea to come here, what with all the Slayers being in Konoha," Suigetsu grumbled, leaning against his executioner's blade that he had stuck in the ground. "Someone was bound to die when we had no choice but to fight the Sisters. And look, someone did and her girlfriend is going psycho as a result. Why don't you guys ever listen to me?"

"Maybe because you're so cocky and arrogant and most of what you say deals with killing others," Karin muttered.

"We knew what might have happened when we decided to leave the Sound village," Jugo said. "There was no way we could have defeated the Sisters ourselves because in comparison to them, we are weak vampires. They are the brides of Dracula, and therefore some of the oldest and most powerful of their kind. Without the Slayer and her friends' help, we would have died as soon as they revealed themselves."

"…Why did she have to die?" Karin asked, crimson gaze on the ground as images of the dead woman filled her head. "…Her death wasn't necessary. She never did anything wrong."

"Most people that die are innocent. It was her fate…an unfortunate one that we are partly responsible for," Jugo replied.

"You guys fought the Sisters…I just hid in the bushes. I'm a useless coward and it's my fault that Tara is dead," Karin murmured pitifully.

"Normally, I would agree with you about being useless and a coward and something being your fault. But we're all to blame on this one. Had we not come to Konoha, they wouldn't have had to fight the Sisters and then Tara wouldn't have died. And how can you claim that you were useless when you saved the blonde Slayer's life? They could have killed you for being a vampire and approaching her, but you didn't seem afraid of what they might have done. You just did what you could to stop someone else from dying. And that's pretty brave," Suigetsu remarked…though he said it as coldly as he possibly could to keep emotions out of it.

Karin gave him a half-hearted smile. "Thanks, Suigetsu."

"Whatever," the blue-haired boy grumbled, turning his icy gaze away from her.

"So Jugo…do you think that Willow person will actually succeed in killing the Sisters and Count Dracula? I've heard that he's been staked before, but he always comes back. How can you kill someone who keeps coming back from the dead?" Karin inquired.

The orange-haired man shrugged. "I'm not sure. But if she manages to succeed, she will need a lot of energy which she will probably seek out before heading towards the Sound village. You felt the power that witch radiated when she heard that Tara was killed. If anyone can put Dracula to rest forever, it will be her. I just hope we can be there when she sets free the Sound village from is control."

"Not that the Sound is much of a village anymore. Everyone there is dead," Suigetsu pointed out.

"There are a few insurgents that managed to escape becoming vampires when Dracula and Orochimaru were turning everyone. They're in hiding, but I'm sure that once the tyrant is put out of power, they'll come out and start repopulating the humans," Karin stated.

"It wouldn't be safe…not with all of those vampires in the village," Jugo remarked.

"Yeah. One minute they'd be walking down the street and the next they'd be someone's midnight snack," Suigetsu agreed.

"Well, then…I guess the Sound village will die and fade from existence. A fitting end to such an evil place," Karin said with a sigh. "I just wish I could have become a little older, you know? Old enough to have started a family and all. Now I won't be able to have children or continue my line or spend another day in the sun…My life sucks now. Being a teenage vampire is not all it's cracked up to be."

"At least you don't sparkle," Suigetsu told her.

"Yes. That is one thing to be thankful for," Karin concurred.

"If I sparkled, I would probably end up staking myself," Jugo put in.

"Well, the Hokage might want that done to us, anyway. We are, after all, vampires from the village all of Japan hates the most," Suigetsu reminded him. "Even if we don't sparkle, tonight could be our last night."

"I don't think she would do that. You saved the Hyuuga Slayer, and I saved the blonde Slayer. If it wasn't for us, those two would be dead. If anything, she's in debt to us for keeping the warriors that fight evil alive…even if we did fail to save Tara," Karin stated.

"Whatever she decides, we'll find out soon enough," Jugo muttered.

"…Is anyone else getting hungry? I could really go for a pint right now."

"Suigetsu!"

* * *

Word of Sasuke's trial had spread quickly throughout the land, so quickly that practically everyone in the villages of Japan knew of it. Even the Akatsuki heard of it, and it did not bode well with his brother when he heard that the elders were responsible for this trial that could have ended with Sasuke being dead…again. Itachi would have killed Orochimaru when he found out about him turning the boy into a vampire, but the ninja of Konoha had taken care of that before he had the chance. But now he could do something about the people who had decided to threaten the only other Uchiha besides himself.

So, the same night that Tara died, he slipped out of the Akatsuki hideout without letting anyone know and headed straight for the Leaf village. He didn't even tell Kisame, who was his partner in the organization.

Acting on his own could have dire consequences, but he didn't care. The Akatsuki mattered very little to him. All that mattered was keeping his brother safe.

_I warned you to never try to hurt him, and you have failed to heed my words, _Itachi thought as he passed through Konoha's chakra barrier undetected. _I won't hurt this village by leaking intelligence to other nations, though I said I would all those years ago. No. A power-hungry, murderous man like you can only be met with one fate that shall benefit us all...death at my hands._

Finding Danzo was not hard. Itachi knew where that sinister man lived and even though the Black Ops worked under Danzo, they would be no match for the Uchiha. That was not the hard part of getting at he who threatened Sasuke. The hard part was avoiding vampires and the like as well as staying out of sight of those that would hunt the fiends. He managed to do that by taking the guise of a raven and flew straight for Danzo's home.

The old fool had left his bedroom window open. But Danzo was not alone. A boy who looked to be Sasuke's age was there; Danzo was giving him orders. The dark-haired, pale-skinned kid didn't have to suffer the same fate as the man, so Itachi silently perched on the windowsill to listen in on whatever he was saying.

"Sai, I want you to kill that bloodsucking Uchiha," Danzo told the boy. "The trial was pointless; those stupid kids played on the clan leaders' emotions. He and that werewolf should be dead by now. But she is nearly untouchable because of that slayer brother of hers…Sasuke is not. When he leaves the Uchiha mansion, he will be away from Sakura. That is when you shall strike. Make sure you are not seen, or it'll be as if you never saw me tonight. Do you understand your orders?"

"Yes, Lord Danzo," Sai murmured. His dark gaze had shifted over to Itachi, but only for a split second. His position was not revealed, and the man in the guise of a bird could see that the kid really didn't want to kill someone so close to his age that had been through enough already. All of this was well-hidden in Sai's eyes, but Itachi could see it all.

"Good. Then go," Danzo grumbled.

Before Sai could leave to do what the old bat ordered, Itachi struck. He flew towards Danzo while the man still had his back to the window, transforming along the way, and stabbed him in the back with his blade, purposely missing his heart by a few inches. The dark blade's point tore through him so that it stuck out of his chest, where Sai could obviously see it. Danzo coughed up blood and Itachi grabbed the back of his head. Danzo couldn't see him with his one eye, but he had no doubt that the old fool would know who was assaulting him.

"…Itachi…" Danzo growled through clenched teeth, his voice full of pain.

"Long time no see," Itachi muttered without emotion, twisting his sword to cause Danzo even more pain. Sai made no move to help the Black Ops leader.

"…What are you doing here? I could have your life for this…" Danzo hissed.

"Your men are no match for me. You, of all people, should know that," Itachi said. "I heard what you tried to have happen to Sasuke, and I thought I'd drop by and let you suffer the consequences for forgetting my threat."

"I never…forgot your threat to endanger Konoha by leaking intelligence…if anything happened to Sasuke," Danzo stammered.

"Forgetting…ignoring…it's all the same."

"He's not alive anymore…what does he matter to you if he's dead?"

"That bastard Orochimaru might have turned him into a vampire…but he is still my brother and therefore he matters to me. And I'll make sure he is not a vampire forever. I will find a way to give him life again."

"Once you're dead…you're dead."

"There's always a way to undo what is done. Resurrection brings back those in their grave…turning vampires back to humans should be somewhat similar."

"…Are you done? If you stay much longer, your life will be in jeopardy."

Itachi turned his dark gaze on Sai. "I don't believe it will be. But you…you will have no life in a few seconds. So Danzo…any last words?"

"…Sai…help me. Attack this criminal and send him to the grave."

Without saying a word, Sai turned on his heel and walked casually out of those doors as if nothing had ever happened. Itachi had known that boy wasn't going to risk his life for this old bat. The less bloodshed, the better. Besides, if he had to fight Sai, it would have been like fighting Sasuke because of their age. Would he have been able to do that? He doubted it.

The look on Danzo's face was priceless when one of his ninja turned away from him.

"Your death will be good for everyone…" Itachi said as he turned the blade into Danzo's heart and ended his life. His limp body collapsed to the floor as Itachi ripped his sword out again. A pool of blood was quickly forming, but unlike Sasuke, drinking blood was not his thing. He was still human, just like every other member of the Akatsuki. He turned his back to the body. "…Even Konoha shall not miss you."

He turned back into a raven and flew away from the room just as Sai returned with older Black Ops ninja.

His work was done…

All that was left was to check in on Sasuke to make sure he was really okay.

* * *

Two hours until dawn, Sasuke reluctantly pulled himself away from Sakura's arms. The poor girl had tried to stay awake for him, but she had been too tired from overexerting herself during training and slaying. He had been unable to sleep; he knew that if he did, then he would lose track of time and be late to go to the victims' family's home. He was already on their bad list for taking away a relative or two…he didn't want to make things worse.

Sakura stirred when she felt the springs in the bed move and opened her emerald eyes. The pale moonlight from the crescent moon illuminated her pale skin with an angelic glow, one that Sasuke had to force himself to look away from. If he hung onto her, then he wouldn't be able to leave and then what would become of him? He had a sentence to fill out or else he was going to die.

"…Is it time already?" Sakura asked, stifling a yawn as she sat up.

"I'm afraid so," Sasuke replied as he kept his back to her.

"…I wish you didn't have to go…but I know it's the only way you can make up for taking away their loved ones," Sakura murmured morosely. "Good luck .You're gonna need it. Everyone in that house hates your guts."

Sasuke smirked at that, though it was grim. "I know. I'd be worried if they didn't."

"How soon do you think it'll be until I see you again?" Sakura inquired.

"I don't know. Months, years, decades…There's no telling how long it'll take for them to forgive me."

"With any luck…they might hate you so much that they throw you out quickly."

"Sakura, you know it doesn't work like that. I won't ever forgive myself for taking those lives…every time I go to sleep, I see _them_ lying there on the ground. If I can't forgive myself, then how are the families going to forgive me? I won't leave them until they do, so don't be surprised if you don't see me for twenty more years. By then, you could be married and have a family. You may not even remember me."

"How could I ever forget you? No man will ever be able to take my heart away from you. This girl only has heart for one man. And that's you."

Sasuke turned around and gave her a wan smile. She returned it with a much larger one before leaning in and pressing her lips against his. Her hands grabbed his shoulders, pulling him closer, as their kiss began to escalade to a make-out session. He wrapped his arms around her waist. More than anything, he wished he could be with her like this for the rest of time and never have to leave her alone. But that was impossible now. He had crimes to restitute.

"I guess this is goodbye," Sakura whispered when they broke apart.

"Hopefully, not goodbye forever," Sasuke whispered back, pecking her on the forehead before releasing her. "Stay safe for me while I'm gone."

And then he disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Sakura sighed and sat back down on Sasuke's bed. Tears were welling up in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Sasuke wouldn't want her to cry over something so stupid. So she wouldn't. But saying she wouldn't and not doing so were two different things. She had to bite her tongue to take her mind off of him, though that only worked for a few seconds. Her mind wondered to what the others were doing since they still had to slay, and her gaze turned towards the window.

A raven was perched on the windowsill. She had forgotten that Sasuke had left it open that night; her mind had been too focused on the boy she loved and the thought that she wouldn't be seeing him again for a long time. And then she had fallen asleep…How come Sasuke hadn't noticed the bird and shooed it away? He must have been too busy thinking about her and his victims to do so. She made a move to get up and scare it off…

And received the biggest shock of her life.

The raven flew into the room, only it shifted into the form of a man that stood in front of her. He looked to be about the same age as Atem, only he was definitely Japanese. He had dark eyes and long dark hair that was pulled back into a ponytail behind him. A dark robe with a red cloud design on it covered the majority of his body; the sleeves were so long that even his arms weren't visible. She had no idea who this guy was, but his cold stare wasn't that inviting and didn't make him seem like a good guy. What was he doing in the Uchiha mansion?

Sakura didn't ask. She quickly grabbed her stake and a kunai knife, prepared to face whoever and whatever this guy was.

"I didn't come here for a fight," the man said coldly without emotion, much like Sasuke. "You have enough to deal with already; do not force me to hurt you, Sakura."

"…Who…who are you? Why are you here?" Sakura demanded, not lowering her weapons because she didn't trust this guy.

"My name is Itachi Uchiha…I am Sasuke's older brother," the man told her.

Sakura looked taken aback by his name. Of course Sasuke had told her about his brother, the man responsible for the massacre of the Uchiha clan. Why had he come? Did he plan on finishing the job by taking down Sasuke when he was distracted? Or was he going to kill her since Sasuke had already left? What was this guy's angle? What did he want?

"…Judging from the look on your face, I assume Sasuke has told you of me," Itachi muttered, closing his eyes. "As to why I'm here, I came to see if my little brother was still alive…somewhat. I know he's a vampire because of Orochimaru and I know of the trial that almost sent him to permanent death. Word travels fast about the only Uchiha that survived the massacre. I just wanted to see if anyone had gotten to him yet…"

"So what? You could take him out first?" Sakura exclaimed, cutting him off.

"No. I don't want to kill Sasuke. If I had, he'd be dead already," Itachi replied, confusing her even more. "I came here to ensure his safety, nothing more. And before coming here for the first time in many years…I made sure that the counselors would never try something like that ever again."

"…How did you do that?" Sakura dared to ask.

"Let's just say that Danzo is no longer with us and when the other two elders hear of it, they'll be too afraid to ignore my threat ever again."

"…So you killed Danzo to scare Koharu and Homura. But why are you here talking to me? Don't tell me you did the same thing that the Sound village did."

Itachi shook his head. "No. The Akatsuki is still human…to a point. We are not vampires or werewolves or any other fiend that you and your friends would have to slay. My reason for coming here…defies what I have been trying to keep a secret ever since that night when Sasuke became the last of our clan."

"Secret? What do you mean?"

"Only four people besides myself know of this secret…Well, now it might be two since Danzo is dead. But since you are involved with my brother, it's only right that I tell you so you understand why I am willing to make myself a higher criminal to protect Sasuke. I believe that Sasuke is worth more than anything else…and I will not allow any harm to come to him unless he becomes a monster."

"…What is the secret?"

"…I was ordered to massacre the Uchiha clan."

* * *

Dracula was out hunting, granting Kabuto a rare moment of peace. He had been dunked in holy water, stabbed with stakes, and pressed against crosses far too many times; there were scars to tell the tales of his torture. The Sound Five had taken notice of this and were not happy about it or the takeover of Dracula. Technically, Kabuto was the leader of the village, but he was having his strings pulled by the older vampire. The Sound Five refused to follow anyone but Orochimaru or his right-hand man and often showed their dislike for the foreign vampire and his brides. Kabuto did not have that luxury, for if he even grunted about hating Dracula, he would be hurt severely.

He collapsed onto his bed and winced, forgetting that his back was still sore from his being chained to a cross for forty-eight hours straight as punishment for not stopping Team Hebi from running away. Apparently, Dracula thought that Kabuto would know of all the plans his fellow ninja had and would be able to stop them from betraying him. The Sisters had taken off after them, but had yet to return. Kabuto hoped that young Karin, Suigetsu, and Jugo managed to escape them and were safe now. Everyone deserved the chance to be free from this tyranny.

His door flew open, stealing his attention. Tayuya, Sakon, Jirobo, Kidomaru, and Kimimaro stood there, half of them looking mad and the other half looking emotionless.

"…What do you want?" Kabuto asked tiredly.

"We're sick of taking orders from that stupid European! He needs to bite a big one and get the hell outta here!" Tayuya growled. "Why are you letting him treat you like a bitch? You weren't Lord Orochimaru's most trusted follower for nothing! Kick his ass! He deserves it! If it wasn't for him, Lord Orochimaru wouldn't have been so cocky as to go into the Leaf village to capture Sasuke and Sakura! It's that bastard's fault our lord is dead!"

"Did you have to use so much language?" Jirobo scolded, even though he was also mad.

"Yes I did, fatso! I'm pissed!" Tayuya snapped.

"He's got you looking like hell, Kabuto. Just say the word and I'll kill him," Sakon told him. "We follow your orders now. Give me permission and you'll never be tortured again, I swear it."

"We all will follow you, and I won't even dare toy around with this one," Kidomaru said. This was something coming from a guy who liked to play around with people that he fought against unless they were a lot stronger than him.

Kimimaro remained silent, but Kabuto knew what that man wanted. He had been ill and dying until Orochimaru had turned him into a vampire. Then all of his strength had returned and he got better; it was just as if he had never been sick. Kimimaro owed everything to that pallid snake…but he was also torn. Even after his speedy recovery, his leader still wanted Sasuke to be his next host body. Not that he really needed a host when he was immortal, but he wanted the Sharingan so badly. He tossed Kimimaro aside the night he went to the Leaf village with a troupe of other Sound ninja and Kimimaro had never really forgiven him for it. So…maybe he didn't like Orochimaru anymore, but the medic nin had been nothing but kind to him even when he was ill. He didn't want Kabuto suffering anymore, and he hated Dracula more than he hated Orochimaru.

"…I've tried fighting him…but he's stronger than I am even though he possesses no jutsu," Kabuto murmured.

"That was when you were on your own. The five of us against him? He won't stand a chance. Besides you, we were Orochimaru's strongest ninja. We can handle a pompous vampire who's not even from this country and couldn't fight his way out of a cardboard box if it wasn't for his vampiric strength," Kidomaru claimed.

"Are you sure…that you want to attempt something like that? If you fail…he'll kill you," Kabuto warned. "He's only kept me alive to control the village. Otherwise, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"We're sure! That bastard's gonna die!" Tayuya shouted.

"Yeah! He don't have his brides 'round to protect him no more!" Jirobo put in.

"This is the perfect time to strike," Sakon agreed.

Kabuto sighed. "All right. But promise me this. If it looks like you're going to lose…run. I don't want to see you guys die, too. You are Orochimaru's prodigy. He would want you to live on long after his destruction."

That was pure bull, of course. Orochimaru didn't care for anyone but himself and Sasuke. He had seen something better and moved on. Even Sasuke had been a phase once he had seen the strength in the Slayer, Sakura. Sometimes, the way that man looked at kids made Kabuto wonder if the Sannin was a pedophile instead of a man seeking warriors. Of course, he never brought it up in front of the Otokage. If he had, he would have been dead long ago.

"We will do what you ask…but only if things look hopeless," Kimimaro murmured before anyone else could protest his orders.

"I had nothing to do with this," Kabuto grumbled.

"Of course not, Lord Kabuto," Sakon said. "Sound Five, let's hunt down this jerk and send him to his grave permanently!"

And then Sound Five disappeared…

But was it for forever?

Kabuto hoped not.

But Dracula had been staked and burned and everything else that killed vampires before, and he always came back.

Could Sound Five possibly defeat him if no one else in the past had?

Kabuto didn't think so.

* * *

_A/N: End of chapter. What did you think? Please tell me. Thank you for reading._


	22. Chapter 22

_A/N: Sorry for taking so long to update again. Here's another chapter for those who are reading this. Please continue._

* * *

Chapter 22

Sakura stared at Itachi in disbelief after he had finished telling her everything leading up to the night of the Uchiha Massacre and what he had done afterward to ensure that Sasuke would not be harmed after Itachi's departure. It was hard to believe that the Uchiha clan had been planning a hostile takeover of Konoha because they had been suppressed by the Hokages for so long. She also couldn't believe that the elders really could have ordered Itachi to eliminate the threat in order to keep Konoha safe from that and possible attacks that would have followed. He had played the part of a double agent, making his own clan believe he was gathering intelligence on Konoha when he really was gathering intelligence on Uchiha's plans. But he failed his mission because he was incapable of killing Sasuke because to him, his little brother was more precious than the village. So Itachi did everything he could to make himself out to be a monster so Sasuke would never know what Uchiha had been planning and go on believing that Uchiha was an honorable clan. Itachi would rather suffer being hated and end up being killed by his little brother than to have his hands stained with that kid's blood. And then he even threatened Danzo and Homura and Koharu if they tried to take matters into their own hands…

Sakura wanted to yell at him and claim he was lying, but how could she prove it was so? It may have never been evident to the other clans and it might have never been recorded, but there were some signs that pointed to his words being the truth. The trial, for example, that almost ended Sasuke's life for the second time. The elders had been so eager to have the clan leaders convict him…it was almost as if they had unfinished business to attend to. And hadn't they been so mad when Sakura showed up with people to speak on his and Bastet's behalf? Things just didn't add up…but though there was no evidence to disprove Itachi's words about him being ordered to murder his clan, there was no evidence to prove it, either. The elders' behavior could have been hatred to the Uchiha clan and that alone.

But then, why would Itachi feed her these lies? What did he have to gain from lying to her? Slayer's pity in case he did go undead? That couldn't be it. He would have to be telling her the truth. He had nothing to gain from lies.

Itachi closed his eyes. "You doubt me."

Sakura opened her mouth, but hesitated to say that he was right. "…I…just find it very hard to believe that so many people could put the blame on you when you claim the Third Hokage and the elders ordered you to massacre your entire family."

"You have every reason to doubt me. That was how I intended it to be, that no one would think of any other possible truth. I wanted my brother to grow up without being condemned for what his relatives planned on doing…and I wanted him to grow strong," Itachi said.

"How am I…supposed to believe that when I have no proof?" Sakura asked.

"If I were the monster I made everyone see me as…Sasuke would have been dead long before Orochimaru turned him into a vampire…and you'd be dead now," Itachi replied.

Sakura gulped. Could he really kill her that easily? "…You…you said that you weren't alone that night when you completed the mission. Madara Uchiha…isn't he the man that battled the First Hokage in the Final Valley? How could he still be alive after all this time?"

Itachi shrugged. "I don't know everything about him, but he was cast out by Uchiha long ago for believing that we would be suppressed by Senju, the Will of Fire. No one else thought it would come to pass…and unfortunately, it did. He resented his clansmen for turning against him and wanted to take revenge. I granted him that opportunity only if he promised to leave Konoha alone. He has so far and will continue to do so…but with my death, I am sure that he shall try to take the village down again."

"Again?" Sakura inquired.

"After being cast out, he came back and attacked Konoha while controlling the Kyuubi with the Sharingan. That was when he battled the First Hokage…and made everyone think he had died," Itachi explained. "Madara was the only Uchiha to ever attempt something like that…demons are not meant to be controlled by mere men. The second attack of the Kyuubi on Konoha thirteen years ago was a coincidence that Uchiha had nothing to do with…but it was believed differently by the elders. Their prejudice was part of the reason my clan began to plot their revolt."

"…So…there's not just you and Sasuke? Madara is also alive? That means there are really three members of the Uchiha clan still in existence. But…only you could possibly continue the lineage now. Madara is probably immortal in some way…and Sasuke will be thirteen for the rest of his days," Sakura said.

"I doubt I'll live long enough to start the Uchiha clan over again. And that fool Madara is doomed to find his death one of these days even if very few still know he's alive. But the Uchiha clan will not end when we die. Sasuke will be able to continue it…"

Sakura looked at him, confused. "How? He's a vampire."

"I intend to find a way to change that. I did not spare him that night so that Orochimaru could steal his life away six years later. I will not let that bastard ruin him for the rest of time."

Sakura smiled at that, but it faded quickly as she turned her gaze to the hands folded in her lap. "Itachi…why did you tell me your secret?"

"Because you are the only one that can protect him when I'm not around. Being a part of an evil organization is time-consuming and keeping my cover there is even harder…so I cannot just slip away whenever Sasuke is in danger. But you are part of his squad…and you have his heart. I trust you to protect him."

"If you don't want to be evil, then why are you?"

"I have my reasons for being in the Akatsuki that are for the good of Konoha."

"Itachi, can't you just quit being the bad guy and take a new guise so you can be here for Sasuke instead of making yourself out to be a monster? I mean, Sasuke might be able to recognize you in time and you might have to tell him the truth, but…wouldn't it be better for everyone if you were really the peaceful man you wish to be?"

At this, a small smile managed to come onto Itachi's face. "Life for me might be easier if I decided to do that…but it also might be made shorter. One does not just leave the Akatsuki without serious repercussions. Also, I must remain the enemy for Sasuke to hunt down…if he is ever to reach his full potential."

"Are…are you saying that you must die in order for Sasuke to become his strongest?"

"Not just die…but die at his hand. He must be the one to kill me."

"But he doesn't need to. Our training and everything is making him strong. What would killing you accomplish other than more bloodshed?"

"I will be able to bestow my own powers upon him…and he shall acquire the strongest form of Sharingan with my death…the Mangekyo Sharingan."

"He doesn't need the Mangekyo Sharingan! He just needs to become strong physically and mentally! And he needs his brother to guide him!"

Itachi just laughed a little at this. "You wouldn't understand it because you don't know everything about our bloodline and Sasuke's hatred of me."

"I know enough to know that you don't want to die and he wouldn't want to kill you if he knew the truth. Sure, he might be shocked when he hears what Uchiha almost did, but he will still be proud to carry the name of his clan. And with any hope, he will understand why you did what you did and will forgive you. If anyone knows what forgiveness is…it is him. That is why he's not here right now…because he's trying to make up for something someone else made him do. You see? You and Sasuke are not so different."

"Sakura, you can never tell him the truth."

"Why not? If I don't, someone else who knows might."

"I'm aware of that…but if I can help it, one of the people who know will not be around when he comes after me."

"Madara, right?"

"You catch on quickly, but I suppose that's the only reason you've lasted this long as the Slayer of creatures worse than ninja."

"Itachi, you are a confusing and questionable man. But I suppose I have no choice but to agree to keep the secret of that night to myself since you are planning on finding a way to make Sasuke human again. Just don't come back to the Leaf village after you've done that, okay? A man with your status can only be met with one fate if he stays where he's dubbed a monster for too long."

"I won't be around forever, and though I believe I have discouraged the remaining counselors for now…please watch over Sasuke for me."

"You can count on me. Nothing will happen to him if I can help it."

"…You take care of yourself now."

"You don't die now."

Itachi just smiled and shook his head at that last comment. The sun was starting to rise over the village, signaling the beginning of another day and the ending of another slaying night. He could see that the pink-haired Slayer was tired and he knew he should be going back to the Akatsuki hideout before people began to wonder where he was. If he stuck around in Konoha much longer, his presence would be noticed as well. Danzo's death might not be linked to him by others, but that boy Sai had seen him and there was no telling what that kid might do. He had to go now.

"If you ever need to reach me…" Itachi said suddenly, pulling something from his huge sleeves, "…Send this. He will know where to go, and has an encrypted code that you may use when speaking to me in case anyone else intercepts the message."

The black bird perched itself on the headboard, looking at Sakura with dark eyes that were so much like Itachi's. A small scroll was wrapped around his leg and probably contained the code the man had spoke of. A man as powerful as Itachi might be a good ally to have…

"Thank you," Sakura murmured politely. "…You should go now before you get in some serious trouble with that organization."

Itachi nodded once. "Goodbye, Sakura."

Before she could say anything, he transformed back into a raven and flew out the window towards the rising sun. She watched him go, feeling confused and curious and tired all at once. She still had a few hours until she had to meet her squad for training, so she resolved to go back to sleep. Itachi's story could be worried about later…and his bird was not going anywhere, anyway.

Oblivious to anything but herself, she closed her eyes again and drifted into a dream.

* * *

Tsunade came in the morning to get Tara's body with Shizune and Giles as her only company. Usually, she sent other nin to cart bodies into the morgue, but this one was different. This woman had been a friend of a friend and one of the people she sent into the woods every night to face evils previously unknown. Now she was dead and she felt as if she should be respectful to this woman that wasn't a stranger. Though no tears fell from her eyes, she carried with her a heavy heart.

She laid down the stretcher next to the body. Her eyes were still open, full of pain and fear that were left in Tara's last seconds. Tsunade closed them so she wouldn't have to see those last moments anymore and worked on removing the many daggers carefully from the brunette with Shizune's help. Giles just stood by for emotional support in case she broke down. He had known Tara longer, but yet he thought she needed the support.

_He must be a strong man not to weep for her, _Tsunade thought, yanking out another of the daggers and glad no blood came out because of how long she had been dead. _Or maybe he's used to seeing those around him die because of the undead and just doesn't have any tears left. I may be older than him physically...but I think this man has me beat when it comes to emotional experience and mental strength._

This became more obvious as she finally grabbed the dagger that had done poor Tara in. Her hand was trembling as she looked down at the weapon stuck in the woman's chest and remembered all the things she could about that woman. Tara the witch who would have done anything for her friends, even though she wasn't as good with magic as Willow, her lover. Tara the woman who always had a smile and didn't speak much. Tara the girly-girl in a dress practically every day that managed to brighten a room by just being there.

She was dead.

She would never again cast another spell or teach Ino magic.

She would never again protect her friends.

She would never again love.

She would never again smile.

She would never again brighten a room.

She would remain silent forever.

She would remain in a dress forever.

She was dead…

"Lady Tsunade…" Shizune murmured, placing a gentle hand over that of her lady. "Let me take care of this."

It was then that the Fifth Hokage realized she was crying and shaking. She pulled her hand away and let Shizune remove the fatal weapon instead. Then she somehow managed to aid her right-hand woman in moving Tara from the ground to the stretcher and hoisted it off the ground. Shizune gestured to Giles, who laid a white sheet over the body so no one they passed in the street would see her face. It also helped for Tsunade to swallow her emotions and continue to function without having an emotional breakdown now that Tara was covered. Giles was at her side the whole time as a silent crutch that she could always lean on if need be.

Dawn watched them go from the shadows, tears falling from her eyes because she was closer to Tara than almost everyone else. Her grip tightened on Shikamaru's hand as she watched the woman get taken away by the Hokage and her right-hand woman. This death was important to her…because it had been someone that she had known for so long. It touched her more than words could say to see that Tara's death mattered to even those so high in the standings of the village. It wasn't every body that was personally dealt with by the Hokage.

Shikamaru had been friends with Tara, but not close ones. He could not relate to the pain that Dawn was going through. All he could do was comfort her when she needed it and be there even if she yelled for him to go away. He would have done the same for Ino way back when Rock Lee was in the hospital…but now it would have been because they were friends. He had feelings for the blonde witch back then, but now his heart was set on someone else that was weeping into his shirt, gripping his hand tightly, and that he was holding in his arms.

Ino was being held tightly in the arms of Rock Lee in his home on the floor, weeping loudly over the death of her tutor and friend who was more like a mother than anyone else had ever been. She would rather be with him than her father in her grief. He would not understand like Rock Lee would. He never understood anything…after the death of her mother. It was almost like reliving that accursed day…only ten times worse than she remembered. The bushy-browed Genin just did his best to comfort her and let her see he would be there forever if she needed him.

Xander and Anya were dealing with their grief the only way they knew how…ignoring it and acting like everything was okay. It was easier said than done, especially when they were in the same house that she had been in since their arrival to Konoha. They often found themselves staring at the closed door to the witches' bedroom, wondering if maybe one or both of them might walk out. A foolish hope, indeed, but one their aching hearts were willing to lean on.

Anko kept a firm grip on Kakashi's hand as they watched Tsunade and Shizune take the body into the hospital from their perch on the roof. He had been a little depressed since Karin had told him of the brunette witch's death, but Anko understood why. He had been working with her and those other people for months now to keep evil from taking over their village. To have one just disappear…it wasn't something one got over quickly. She didn't particularly like that Tara had died, either. She was a part of the sisterhood, a fellow witch. And now she was gone…

Buffy was looking everywhere in Konoha for signs of Willow, keeping her mind occupied so she wouldn't let her emotions overrun her and would forget about the dull pain in her chest. Atem was with her, though it wasn't necessary…at least, that's what she claimed. On the inside, she was falling apart, not seeing how fate could have allowed her to live and Tara to die from a nearly identical attack. She was the one that was supposed to be dead, not Tara. It wasn't right.

Spike lit a cigarette from his shaded hiding place in the shadow of the Hokage building and glanced down at the village, wondering where Willow was and what Buffy was doing at the moment. He wasn't happy that Tara had bit the big one, but he had never really been close to her so he had no reason to cry. Unlike when Buffy died…

Angel turned away from Team Hebi, whom he was supposed to watch, and glanced out the window towards the hospital with the knowledge that another person he knew was about to be carted into the morgue. He hadn't smiled since hearing about what had happened to Tara and wanted nothing more than to take Buffy in his arms to comfort her. Seeing him like this made Karin look down because of her cowardice, and Suigetsu put a gentle hand on her shoulder to remind her that she was the only one who blamed herself for all of this. Jugo just gave her a pitied glance before looking back at Angel.

Hinata struggled to stand; her wounds that had been inflicted by the Sisters had not been completely healed yet and she was still pretty banged up. Her cousin Neji kept her from falling, knowing why she was standing and not wanting her to overexert herself too much. She let him escort her to the door and even open it…though she couldn't help but feel that he was only being kind to her because she was the Slayer and injured. She took her weight away from him and gripped the doorjamb instead. Tsunade and Shizune, accompanied by Giles, were walking by her room with a body on a gurney…it was covered, but those that had been in the forest last night knew who it was under that sheet. Their friend and fellow fighter of evil…Tara. Tears began to pour from Hinata's eyes again as she watched them go; she wished Naruto was there to comfort her again. Neji took his place and wrapped her in a tight embrace while her tears dampened his shirt.

Gai, Asuma, Kurenai, Tenten, Choji, Shino, and Kiba stood next to the memorial stone while a few other ninja began to carve Tara's name into it along with every other ninja that had ever lost their lives in the line of duty. She might not have been out of the Academy when she was killed, but she wasn't too far off and she had fought every night for months to keep Konoha safe. Tsunade thought it was only respectful that she be noted as a hero for everything she had done. When the characters had been finished, Tenten stepped forward and placed a bouquet of Tara's favorite flowers in front of it, whispering a little prayer that the witch would finally be at peace. The others just observed her death silently with heavy hearts…without eating, in Choji's case.

Naruto stood on top of the Hokage Monument, looking out at the village with a serious expression on his face. He was tired of all of the people in the village suffering because of the Hellmouth, but there was nothing he could do to rid the world of all the vampires and demons and the like. Tara had been nothing but kind to him even when she heard he had a demon inside of him…that might have been because the rumor of her family was that all the women were born half-demon and would have to be killed when they reached a certain age, but it was still what made him become good friends with her. If the tears silently falling from his eyes weren't proof of that, nothing would ever be. It had been Dracula's fault that Tara died…perhaps it was best that Willow pursued and killed him and his brides for the rest of time. She would just have to beat him to the punch.

Tsunade and Shizune put Tara's body down on one of the cold metal tables in the morgue. Unlike the other bodies there, she wouldn't be autopsied or cut up in any way. She would be changed into clean, non-bloody clothes and those from her country would arrange a funeral for her, since there were major religion differences between Konoha and Sunnydale. Tsunade would be there to see her off and buried; she made that promise to herself as she glanced at the woman under the sheet for what she wanted to be the last time. Then she strode back out of the morgue with Shizune and Giles behind her, biting her lip to keep from breaking down again as memories of past dead ones began to arise in her head again.

* * *

Kimimaro struggled to catch his breath in the darkness of the forests of the Sound. He had watched three members of the Sound Five die again. First, Dracula had sent Jirobo flying into the sharp branch of a tree, and his aim had been so perfect that it pierced the fat ninja right through the heart, dusting him instantly. Then Sakon had fallen, though he had put a stake into Dracula in a way that made it look like the foreign vampire was dead. But Dracula had reformed behind him and ripped his head off before Sakon could fully register he was there. Kidomaru had been the last to die and had turned Dracula to dust more times than they could count. Tayuya had been telling him to just 'wrap the bastard in a cocoon of your thread and leave him there to rot', but Kidomaru hadn't had time to act on that because Dracula had popped up behind him with a stake. That was the end of him.

Tayuya lay on the ground a few yards from Kimimaro, looking like she was in a worse condition than he was. She had been ruthless, but Dracula was just too strong for her and her jutsu. Her eyes weren't even open anymore; blood was splattered all over her from wounds he had inflicted upon her and wounds she had inflicted upon him. Kimimaro knew he wasn't in much better a condition. They were going to die trying to rid the Sound village of Dracula.

He remembered his promise to Kabuto: _"We will do what you ask...but only if things look hopeless." _Doing what Kabuto asked would mean running away…something that Kimimaro had never done in his entire life. But looking at Tayuya and seeing how close to permanent death they both were, he knew he had no choice. He would do the cowardly thing…but just this once.

Dracula was approaching Tayuya's body, wielding the same weapon that had been the end of Kidomaru. His expression was that of an overconfident man that was happy to end lives. Kimimaro glared at him, concerned that he might kill Tayuya before the nin could find the strength to stand. The foreign vampire grabbed Tayuya by her pink hair and lifted her off the ground without any respect. If she had been conscious, she might have screamed from the pain in her head. But luckily…she was unconscious.

"You would make such a good bride to replace those miserable Sisters," Dracula crooned, caressing her blood-stained face in a way that made Kimimaro feel like ripping his head off. "Why did you have to be so rebellious, dear Tayuya? Now I will have to kill you like I killed the rest of your squad…What a pity. And you could have been such a big help when it came to slaying the Slayers and Potentials…"

Dracula raised the stake and was just about to plunge it into Tayuya's chest…

But then he was knocked backwards and sent careening into a boulder a hundred meters back while Tayuya landed comfortably in the arms of Kimimaro.

The light-haired vampire was having trouble standing, but his anger had allowed him to attack Dracula and save Tayuya. He knew he didn't have much time until Dracula struck again and quickly scanned his surroundings for a way out. Up ahead was a light-filled gap that was about three hundred feet across. Sunlight burned up vampires if they stayed in it too long…but if he managed to run through it and reach the other side before becoming ash with Tayuya, they would be safe from Dracula for the rest of the day. That would also grant them time to put distance between themselves and the Sound village. They might have to hide from the Sisters upon their return to the Sound, but they would be safe.

Without giving it another thought, Kimimaro charged towards the light as Dracula emerged from the rubble.

He felt the heat of the sun starting to make him and Tayuya combust as they entered the light, but did his best to ignore the pain and keep running. Kimimaro kept his gaze looking for the dark forests that separated them from Dracula…and stopped them from dying by sun and vampire. It was the only thing that kept him going when his and her bodies began to catch on fire.

Dracula smirked as he watched the vampire run and couldn't help but laugh as he thought of what these creatures were willing to face in order to escape him.

Even the sound of the foreign vampire laughing did not stop Kimimaro.

He reached the shadows just before he and Tayuya could be permanently dead and put the fires out so they wouldn't have run across death for nothing. Kimimaro collapsed on the ground next to the place where he had dropped Tayuya, tired and gasping even though vampires didn't need to breathe. He glared across the light at Dracula, daring him to try what he just did.

Dracula just smirked and turned his back to the vampires.

"You will join your friends soon enough, Kimimaro," he said before disappearing in the blink of an eye.

With him gone, Kimimaro allowed himself to drift into unconsciousness that was induced by the pain of his injuries.

* * *

_A/N: End of another chapter. The part before the scene with Kimimaro would have been like flashes of different scenes if this would have been an episode and was meant to show everyone's emotions about what had happened to Tara, though it mostly focused on Tara being taken to the morgue by Tsunade. Well, what did you think of this whole thing? Please tell me. Thank you for reading._


	23. Chapter 23

_A/N: I'm back again! Sorry for taking so long to update...I just needed a break from all of this typing all the time for Fan Fiction. But I'm back, so there's no more waiting. Here's a new chapter. Please read on._

* * *

Chapter 23

Dark Willow was strong on her own. She had always been one of the most powerful witches in the world, but a desire for vengeance made her even stronger. Still, it wasn't enough to destroy Dracula and his Brides. Dracula always managed to come back no matter how many times he was staked or killed in the traditional vampire way. To put such a powerful being in the ground permanently would require a large amount of power…

And fortunately, Dark Willow knew a source of immense power.

Little Dawnie, the Key that Glory had wanted so badly so that she could return to her dimension. She was so full of power, more than enough to destroy an old vampire and his brides. It was true that taking the power of the Key would result in the end of Dawn, but that didn't really faze Dark Willow as it would have if she wasn't seeking vengeance. All she wanted was to kill the people responsible for Tara's death. It didn't matter what the casualties were for her to accomplish that goal.

Dark Willow dropped the body of an old powerful witch that she had stolen magic from with a smirk and disappeared into thin air. She would be paying a visit to Dawnie soon…

And then Tara's death would be avenged.

* * *

Stuck between the Sound village and the path of the returning Sisters was a very bad place to be. This was especially true for Kimimaro, who was injured and thirsty for blood while carrying an unconscious Tayuya who was in worse condition than he was. He had put some distance between himself and the Sound, but when night fell, he knew that Dracula would be able to pursue him again. That wouldn't be too hard, considering all the blood the duo was trailing. What they really needed was a place to hide out until they recovered. And then…

Then what? Kimimaro didn't know. He knew that Team Hebi, Sasuke's intended squad, had taken off towards Konoha to save themselves and protect the Slayers, but that was easy for them to do. They had no record against the Leaf. The Sound Five, however, did. Four of them had aided Orochimaru in killing the Third Hokage. Kimimaro was not one of those four since he had been struck ill at that time. But he had committed crimes against the Leaf before. To hope that he and Tayuya could seek refuge there until Dracula was taken care of was stupid. And what village would be stupid enough to accept two Sound vampires through their gates? None.

In order to be accepted anywhere, they would have to cast away their identities and take on new personas. If they were just two people with curse marks and no real ties to Orochimaru, they might be accepted into a village. But if they added being vampires into the mix…

No. There was no village in Japan that would ever accept vampires into their homes, even if they claimed to be vegetarian vampires. So what would he and Tayuya do once they had recovered from their encounter with Dracula? Just sit around and wait for someone else to take Dracula out?

Kimimaro stopped to take a break when walking injured with dead weight in his arms became too much for him. He laid Tayuya's body down on the grass and sat beside her, leaning his back against a tree. Before he would have left Tayuya for dead. He would have thought her weak for losing to an opponent with no ninja training whatsoever. He would have considered her unworthy of life. But that was what he was taught by Orochimaru to think. That man had really tried Kimimaro ever since becoming a vampire. He had cast the light-haired man aside for Sasuke just for a pair of crimson eyes that were inherited by members of the Uchiha clan. Kimimaro was just an old weapon tossed away for a newer and sharper blade. Being rejected by the man he idolized…it changed Kimimaro. His comrades were strong…They just weren't strong enough to defeat Dracula for good.

A deer was grazing nearby, not noticing Kimimaro or Tayuya at all. Even from his position, the light-haired ninja could hear the blood coursing through the animal's veins. He had never fed on animal blood since becoming a vampire, but he was thirsty. It would have to do. Without making any sudden movement to frighten the deer or let it know it wasn't alone, Kimimaro raised his hand and shot the bones of his fingertips at it. They passed right through the deer's head, killing the animal easily. The animal collapsed to the ground. Leaving Tayuya's body for a moment, Kimimaro stood and approached the body.

Animal blood was different than human blood, both in taste and satisfaction. Whereas human blood tasted of copper, in a good way, and left the vampire full yet yearning for his next feeding, animal blood tasted of nature and didn't completely fill a vampire yet it didn't leave him wanting to drink any more of it. Kimimaro drank until he thirsted no longer before dragging the body over to Tayuya. She might have been unconscious, but she still needed blood after all the injuries she had suffered. He forced her mouth open and let the blood pour into her. Not too much though…He didn't want her to choke on it. She might have already been dead, but still.

There was no sun in the dark forests that the duo was in, but Kimimaro could sense that night would be upon them soon. They needed to be somewhere safe before the sun set and let the creatures of the night prowl the earth, or else Dracula would find them and make sure they didn't get away again. And if he didn't get them, the Sisters returning from their hunt of Team Hebi would.

Kimimaro caught sight of a cave in the side of a rocky structure not too far away from his current position. It wouldn't be the safest place in the world, but it would be safer than remaining out in the open. He lifted Tayuya off the ground again and walked towards the cave. It wasn't too deep, but it would have to do. He set Tayuya down again-she still hadn't made a sound or opened her eyes since being knocked unconscious by Dracula. He was starting to worry about her. He knew she couldn't be dead-dead; if that had happened, she would have turned to dust. But something was seriously wrong with her.

He sighed. There was nothing he could do to help her because he was no medic and he knew nothing about healing anyone, let alone vampires. All that he did know was that vampires healed quickly, especially if they had access to plenty of blood. If that applied to out-cold vampires…That was beyond Kimimaro. He just hoped it would. He had already lost three members of Sound Five…He couldn't stand to lose another.

Especially not Tayuya.

Never Tayuya.

He laid down beside her and let himself slip into unconsciousness just as night fell upon all of Japan.

* * *

Tsunade was taken aback when Naruto had come into her office hours ago. He rarely ever came to her unless he wanted something of her, and this time was no exception. He had a crazy idea for taking out Dracula and finding Willow. It had taken hours of explaining and debating with her for something real to come out of it, something that she agreed to do. But it would take time, an object that Naruto didn't think they had. In order to go through with the plan, she would have to get in contact with the Sand village. Then she would have to wait three days for the requested people to show up. And then there was the time it would take to travel from the Leaf to the Sound. After hearing about how much time it would take, Naruto had gotten angry and stormed out of the Hokage's office, but she knew he wasn't stupid enough to head for the Sound village alone. Especially not tonight.

The young-looking woman sighed and slouched in her seat. It was better that it would take so much time to accomplish this mission. Tara's funeral was set to take place in a couple of days. If a mission took away some of her friends, they wouldn't be able to grieve properly. That would be a cruel thing to do. She could never do that to people that had helped protect Konoha from things that went bump in the night.

But there would never be enough time in the world to get Willow back to Konoha as the good witch she had been before Tara's death.

Bodies were already starting to turn up…Bodies of witches at that. It seemed that Willow was searching for sources of power in order to become strong enough to send Dracula and the Sisters to their permanent graves. The elders were already starting to hound her on how little control she had over her followers. But Tsunade just brushed those two aside. Homura and Koharu were always looking for reasons to complain; they could never be satisfied.

They weren't so much of a menace now that Danzo had been killed. The Root ANBU that he led had been unable to catch the man responsible for his death, but there had been a boy in the room that had seen the face of Danzo's attacker. It seemed that Itachi had heard of their attempts to end Sasuke's life and had taken matters into his own hands. For once, Tsunade didn't mind his actions. Danzo was a power-hungry conspirator who hated her and the Third for their beliefs when it came to ruling. He just got what he deserved.

Besides, the boy that had witnessed the attack on Danzo, admitted that the old man had ordered him to kill Sasuke. If Itachi hadn't taken Danzo out, then Sasuke would be gone. And if Tsunade and or Sakura had found out about this plan, Danzo would have been a dead man.

It was a lose-lose situation for Danzo.

_May he burn in the fires of Hell for the rest of time, _Tsunade thought bitterly.

There was a gentle rapping at the door to her office before it opened. Shizune stood there holding Ton-Ton, not wearing the smile she usually had on. She had a reason to be without her usual cheer. Tara had died and Shizune had been the one to oversee the woman's preparations for her funeral. Not to mention having to look over all the bodies of the dead witches coming into the morgue. The poor girl needed a break after all of that.

"Lady Tsunade, Iruka Umino is here to see you," Shizune murmured without meeting her lady's gaze.

"Send him in…and then go home. You need to take a few days off before your work really starts to take its toll on you," Tsunade told her, half-teasing.

"Thank you, milady," Shizune said quietly before opening the door again. Iruka walked in and she walked out without saying another word to anyone.

Iruka didn't look as cheerful as he usually was, but like with Shizune, Tsunade did not blame him. This man was a very close friend of Willow's…and he wished to be closer but had kept his distance because of the red-head witch's relationship with Tara. He wasn't happy that Tara was out of the picture. She had been a student of his in the Academy and though those two had never been friends, it hurt him to hear that she had been killed by the Sisters. It had hurt him even more to hear of Willow's reaction to Tara's death. He didn't want her to be in pain and seek vengeance in a dark way that would just result in more bloodshed. But nothing ever went as people wanted it to. The world just didn't work that way.

"…Have you been able to find her yet?" Iruka asked quietly without raising his eyes from the ground.

"…I'm sorry, but she is eluding us," Tsunade replied, feeling genuinely sorry. "A witch of her caliber will be tricky to find, let alone capture. And she keeps getting stronger with every passing hour because she is stealing the powers of other witches. Willow will in time become strong enough to take out Dracula and the Sisters…but the cost of such power will be great."

Iruka sighed as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. "Naruto told me about the mission you plan on sending some of us on in order to take down Dracula and find Willow. I would like to be on that mission…if that is all right with you."

Tsunade gave the man a sympathetic look. "Iruka, I don't think you should. Willow isn't the same woman she was a couple of days ago. She's not thinking straight. All she wants is vengeance. I know you just want to help, but seeing her like this could…upset you, and then you wouldn't be able to fight her like the others would. It's better if you just stay here until things return to normal. Take a couple of days off if you need to. But please don't ask me to let you go on such a crucial mission."

"I'm aware of how Willow is now. But the real Willow is in there somewhere, I know it. If I can just talk to her, then maybe-"

"No," Tsunade stated, cutting Iruka off. "She's too blinded by vengeance to listen to anyone. Trust me. Many of her friends have tried that if they caught sight of her, but all she does is try to kill them before she disappears. It will be no different for you. And I don't want to risk more lives than I have to."

"But you're willing to risk the lives of people who aren't ninjas and Genins! Explain to me how that makes any sense!" Iruka snapped.

"Some of those people who aren't ninjas have faced threats such as Dracula and are still alive…and the same can be said for those Genins," Tsunade said coolly despite being snapped at by the scarred Chuunin. "And they won't be alone. There will be Jounins going on the mission, too. But like those of lower rank, they have faced the threats of the supernatural. You haven't done so. You have no idea what you're up against."

"I might if you ever let me scout at night," Iruka grumbled.

"Iruka, I'm sorry but I can't let you. You're a good teacher in the Academy. The kids in your class know little of what goes on after they fall asleep at night. I wish to keep it that way not because I want them ignorant of the dangers that lie in the village, but because they are too young to be able to do anything about them. They would just be afraid or be so stupid that they try to face the danger only to be killed. Keeping you away from the supernatural lessens the chances of you being killed. Even if the world is going to hell, you'll be the one constant in these kids' lives. You are the best teacher we've got. I don't want to risk losing you."

"So you keep me weak against these supernatural beings just so someone can keep the kids in the dark about the real world? Damn it, Lady Tsunade! I'm tired of this! I've been a Chuunin for years now! Some of my former students have become stronger than me because no one will let me get anywhere! Shikamaru is already my equal! How long are you going to keep me pinned down? Even if your motives are full of good intentions, it won't keep me alive for much longer. If we are ever invaded again by ninja or vampires or whatever the hell else there is, I'll be an easy target."

Tsunade sighed and closed her eyes. "I'm aware of this. That's why I'm not going to let you head out on that mission with Naruto. Because while he's saving Willow from herself and putting Dracula in his permanent grave, you will be taking a break from the Academy in order to pick up on your training again. With the teachers you will be learning from, you won't be a Chuunin much longer. Will that satisfy you for now, Iruka? It's all that I can do for you right now."

She could tell that he still wanted to pursue Willow, but he knew better than to press the subject when she was being so generous. "…Thank you, Lady Fifth. I appreciate your gesture. Now if you will excuse me…"

"We will bring Willow back, Iruka," Tsunade said when the Chuunin was about to leave again. "I promise."

Now she just hoped she could keep that promise.

* * *

It was Sakura's turn to patrol the village for vampires that night, though she was in no mood for such a thing as slaying. She had arrived at the training grounds only to find that no one was there. That was odd; they always had training unless something really bad happened. Then Kakashi had appeared and told her about what had happened to Tara. Sakura had cried when she heard that-Tara had been such a sweet and kind woman-which was a huge pain to her already aching heart. With Sasuke gone, Tara dead, and Willow evil, it was no wonder that Sakura was in a foul mood.

She wasn't alone, as always. The raven that Itachi had left her flew overheard while Spike walked at her side, smoking a cigarette. The raven had been following her ever since she left the Uchiha mansion, watching her in case something happened. Her friends had asked where she had gotten the bird but she couldn't tell them the truth, so she just lied and said it had been her father's before her parents had died. She didn't mind the presence of the bird too much. It was just a little creepy how it watched her every movement.

"You're being awful quiet tonight, cherry blossom," Spike remarked, blowing smoke into the air. "Something eating you?"

A lot of things were 'eating' her as he put it. Tara's death, Sasuke's absence, Willow's vengeance-fueled evil, and Itachi's secret. Only one she couldn't say a word about, but all she didn't wish to talk about because she wasn't in the mood for talking.

"…No. I just don't feel like saying anything," Sakura murmured, emerald gaze on the ground rather than the bleach-blonde vampire.

"Is it because of Tara being dead or your beau being gone?" Spike asked as if he knew everything about her.

"Those and then some," Sakura admitted bashfully.

"Well, there's nothing I can really say to make you feel better about the witch's death. Only time can heal that wound," Spike said. "But Sasuke went away willingly to try and make up for his crimes. He's a bigger man than I'll ever be. Then again, 's not like he had a choice on whether he went there or not. But don't you worry 'bout him. He'll be back 'fore you know it."

"If the victims' families don't kill him first," Sakura muttered, twirling her stake.

"He won't be easy to kill even if he feels guilty for taking their loved ones' lives," Spike told her. "He did go toe-to-toe with Buffy when they first met. A couple of normal villagers won't be able to lay a finger on him, let alone drive a stake in his heart."

"Yes, but even so…He'll be away from me for so long," Sakura whispered sadly.

"Cheer up, cherry blossom. Sure, he may be separated from you for a few years, but n that time, a lot of things could happen to make the world better for humans. And you could become really kickass, even more so than you are now. Try looking on the bright side more than the gloomy dark side," Spike suggested.

"…Is that what you did after Buffy died?" Sakura asked.

A pause, and then, "No. There was no bright side when Buffy kicked the bucket. The only thing that kept me from going crazy was killing anything she would have killed and keeping Lil' Bit safe from the creepy-crawlies that were dumb enough to try and get her. Keeping busy…It was the only thing that's kept me around this long."

_He really does love Buffy so much,_ Sakura thought, sympathetic. _It's too bad she's still interested in Angel. This poor guy...He'll never get a break, will he?_

"How…How did Buffy die?" the pink-haired Slayer inquired hesitantly.

Spike did not reply right away. Even after all of this time, it was still a very touchy subject for him. Sakura couldn't exactly condemn him for it…If someone asked her how Sasuke had died, it would probably still bring her to tears to remember even though she had not been there when Orochimaru ended his life. She didn't try to get him to open up any quicker; she just scanned the area for any sign of the supernatural while waiting for him to speak. He was either going to tell her about the day Buffy had died or snap at her. More than likely, the latter option would come to pass.

But she really didn't know Spike as well as she could.

"…There was a hell goddess that had been somehow sealed in the body of a guy named Ben because she was cast out from her own realm. Her name was Glory…well, that was the short form of her name and we never referred to her as anything else…not really. She wanted to return to her realm to rule, but in order to open a portal there, she needed the Key, a green blob of energy that could do just what Glory wanted. But some monks managed to put the Key into a human form to keep it out of the hands of the hell goddess. That was how Dawn magically popped into our lives and we all believed she had been with us for years because of what those monks had done. We didn't know any different," Spike began. "To us, she had always been Buffy's lil' sis.

"But then things happened that resulted in the Key's identity being revealed. Glory, with Ben's help, managed to capture Dawn from under Buffy's nose. Normally, Buffy would have been able to protect Dawn, but…but Glory was not your average run-of-the-mill demon. She was a lot stronger than any Slayer. But even so, she was never one to give up. We faced down Glory and defeated her…but it was too late.

"Dawn had already started bleeding, which had opened the portal to the realms of Hell. The portal would not close until her blood stopped flowing. Lil' Bit was willing to jump in the portal and die, but Buffy wouldn't let her little sister die. She found a loophole in the rule for the portal. She and Dawn…they both had the same blood coursing through their veins. It wouldn't know the difference. So…instead of letting Dawn die…Buffy gave her life to close the Hell portal before Hell could come to Earth. Buffy died to save the world again. And there was nothing we could do about it."

It was just a summary of things that passed, but it was more than enough. Buffy, the only Slayer to die twice and still be walking the earth, was a true hero. Sakura could never be like Buffy, could she? No. There was only one Buffy.

Now what was Sakura supposed to say?

"…I'm sorry you had to go through that pain," Sakura whispered.

Spike just shrugged. "The past 's the past. All that matters is she came back again. And it's not like you don't know what it's like to lose a loved one. You lost your parents, and for a short while, you lost your beau. Both to evil doers, too. You got it a lot worse than I ever did, cherry blossom."

"I guess it's just a matter of opinion," Sakura said.

The raven crooned just before some ugly demon came out of the surrounding forest. There was no more time for talk-it was time to assume the role of Slayer and rogue vampire.

"Let's kick some ass," Spike muttered, flicking his cigarette in the demon's face.

* * *

_A/N: First update in a long time, and it was short with very little action. But that's just my opinion. What did you think? Please tell me. Thank you for reading!_


	24. Chapter 24

_A/N: Sorry for leaving you hanging for so long. Here's the next chapter. Please read on._

* * *

Chapter 24

Dawn sat on the couch in her house with her knees pulled up to her chest and red eyes, proof that she had been crying for a good portion of the day. Shikamaru had been forced to return home; his mother wanted him there and his father had complied with her demands. He promised to be back tomorrow, but Dawn didn't know if she could last that long without him. She wasn't alone, of course. The three vampires that had escaped the Sound village were with her, along with Angel. She didn't acknowledge them at all, really…though she was grateful to Karin for saving her sister's life.

She wondered where Buffy was now. Her Slayer sister hadn't fully recovered from being impaled with a dagger, but had refused to stay home while Dark Willow was on the loose. Dawn hadn't seen her sister all day and was really starting to worry. Hinata, who was also a Slayer, hadn't left the hospital yet because of the injuries she had received. Buffy overworking herself might lead to her being in the same place. Atem was with her, but he couldn't force Buffy back home. She was a Slayer while he was just a freelance slayer with no special powers. She would have felt a little better if they would walk through that door…

But no one came.

_...I wish that everyone would just stay here and not go slaying, _Dawn thought sadly as she sniffled. _I...I know it's necessary to keep the village safe...but I don't want any more people to die. Not after what happened to Tara...and what almost happened to Buffy. She's already died twice...I don't think any of us could handle her dying again. Why did this have to happen? Why did we have to come here? If we hadn't followed the Hellmouth and found the Slayer, then Tara wouldn't have died. Everything would be just fine._

She knew she couldn't put the blame of this situation on Sakura. That poor girl had lost a lot since the curse of the Slayer had been thrust on her shoulders. Sakura's parents were murdered, her boyfriend was turned into a vampire, and her life had almost been taken from her so many times. She couldn't be blamed for all of this. It was all because of the actions of Glory that brought them to the day that Buffy was met with her second death. If that hell goddess had never come to their realm…If that day had never come to pass, then everything would have been just fine for both Sunnydale and Konoha.

Suigetsu and Karin were playing some form of chess while Jugo watched, waiting for his turn to face the winner. Dawn only guessed it was chess-the pieces looked completely different than the ones she was used to seeing. Tiles were used instead with a Japanese character stating what piece it was. She couldn't understand the writing or the placement of the players' pieces, but from the looks on their faces, Karin was winning.

"Checkmate," Karin said with a smirk as she moved one of the tiles that was a rook.

"Damn it!" Suigetsu growled, pounding his fists into the floor. "I thought I had you that time! How the hell did you beat me?"

Karin shrugged. "I guess I just outsmarted you. Now move. It's Jugo's turn to get beaten. And I have a feeling he'll prove to be more of a challenge than you."

Suigetsu grumbled something under his breath as he moved aside so the orange-haired male could take his place. He chose to sit beside Dawn just to be out of the way. He didn't know the girl, so he didn't pity her for losing a friend and almost losing her sister. Some might call him heartless, but he didn't care. That was just the way he was.

Dawn looked away from the vampires without souls and turned her attention to the one with a soul. Angel was where he had been ever since he came home with the former Sound vampires-standing by the window, looking out into the dark world that was night. She knew him well enough to know that he wanted to find Buffy just as much as she did, but he couldn't forsake his duty. Tsunade had told him to watch those three that were playing chess to pass the time. If he left them alone with Dawn to go look for Buffy, he would be in some serious trouble. So even though he and Dawn wanted to be elsewhere, they were stuck here. One because of orders, the other because of heartbreak.

Karin could sense the tension in the air from the human and the vampire with a soul even though she was engaged in a game against Jugo. She understood what they must be feeling right then. Dawn was saddened by the death of Tara and was also very worried about her sister Buffy after what had almost become of her. Angel was also worried about Buffy and wanted to go after her, but could not because he had to watch over her and Jugo and Suigetsu. Those two were just going to end up worrying themselves needlessly and just become stressed if they didn't occupy their minds. Too much stress would not be good.

"Dawn. Angel," Karin said, glancing up from the game after putting Jugo's king in check. "Would you two be interested in playing with us?"

"…I don't play games," Angel muttered.

"…I'm not in the mood," Dawn sniffed.

"I'm aware that you're not in the mood," Karin remarked bluntly. "I'm aware of all that has gone on in the past couple of days. That's why you need to do something to keep your minds busy. Worrying gets you nowhere. Wishing to be somewhere else when you can't gets you nowhere. Getting to know your new hell-mates…That, on the other hand, gets you somewhere. So sit down and we'll pull out another board so you can join us."

Angel made no move to join Karin at the table, but Dawn reluctantly made to stand. Hesitantly, Dawn took a seat beside the crimson-haired girl that was a few years younger than she was. Karin made her move against Jugo before focusing her attention on Angel. He was still looking out the window as if nothing had been said. With a sigh, Karin stood and made her way over to his side, heeding not the glances of Jugo or Suigetsu or even Dawn. All she wanted to do was help this guy. The others would probably understand.

"Come on, Angel. Worrying about Buffy won't help anyone…especially not you. You may be a vampire, but stress still affects you. Too much of it won't do anyone any good. So please…Come play a game with us. It'll take your mind off of things and help to pass the time. And it'll be good for your health, too," Karin told him.

"You should listen to her. She was practicing to be a medic nin back in the Sound," Suigetsu put in.

Angel let out a sigh that sounded like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. "If I play your game, will you leave me alone?"

"Maybe," Karin replied nonchalantly, though a small smile appeared on her face.

"Fine," he grumbled.

"Oh, don't sound so gruff about it. It's not like we're the worst company in the world," Suigetsu remarked as Karin returned to her game and Angel joined them at the table. "You could be stuck with a bunch of Sound vampires or the Akatsuki. Or with that man Spike who is always looking at your girl. You don't have it so bad with us, now do you?"

"After I finish Jugo off, we'll teach you guys how to play," Karin said as no one had responded to Suigetsu with anything but a glare on Angel's part.

"Don't be so cocky. You haven't beaten me yet," Jugo pointed out as he made his move.

"…She just did," Dawn murmured. Though she didn't know what the characters on the tiles read, the positions Karin had moved hers in made it seem like Jugo's king was doomed.

Jugo looked at the tiles in disbelief. "You managed to beat me even when you were distracted by Dawn and Angel? I'm surprised…a little. You were always a high-level thinker when we were training…"

"I bet Shika could beat you, Karin," Dawn claimed.

"Who's Shika? That boy that was with you earlier?" Karin asked.

Dawn nodded. "Well, his full name is Shikamaru, but his friends just shorten that a bit. He's really lazy, but he is a high-level thinker, too. That's why he's the only one of his year to have become a Chuunin during the last Chuunin exams. And I've seen him play this game before. Whoever faces him ends up losing because according to his sensei, he can think up to two hundred moves ahead."

"Hmm. He does sound like quite the challenge for you, Karin," Suigetsu commented.

Karin smiled. "You'll have to introduce me to him someday. I'd like to have my intellect challenged for once. But until then…" The crimson-haired girl pulled another chessboard out of the box where the first had come and began putting the pieces on. "…I'll just have to see how well you and Angel can play this game. I'm sure you know what the game is. You just can't tell the pieces apart because this is the Japanese version. Jugo will play against Angel and I will go against you, but it won't be like a real game until you really know what each of the pieces are, okay? Suigetsu, you can supervise for now."

"That's the most boring job ever," Suigetsu groaned. "I'll take it over teaching these guys this stupid game any day."

* * *

Buffy was forced to stop in her endless search for Willow when her legs refused to take another step and her lungs were having trouble taking in the air. It was late into the night, probably near midnight. She and Atem had been searching through the whole village and surrounding forests since morning without taking a break for anything. Not meals, not bathroom breaks…nothing. It was dangerous to be out at this time of night with no strength left-the creatures of the night would be sure to find them-but Buffy had wanted to find her friend to convert her back into the good witch she had befriended. Atem hadn't tried to make her stop though she knew he had far less stamina than her. He was just there like a shadow to watch over her. A true friend though they really didn't know each other that well.

They hadn't found any real trace of Willow this whole time. The only tell-tale sign that she was still in Konoha was the bodies they stumbled upon. Bodies of witches and warlocks that she had sapped the power from in order to gain enough power to take out Dracula and his brides permanently. Buffy did not understand how a witch could do something a Slayer could not to a vampire because she had faced Dracula before and killed him but he had always come back, but she did not doubt the powers of her friend, especially since that friend was hell-bent on vengeance for the death of Tara.

But was the loss of one life really worth the pile of bodies?

Was gaining enough power for vengeance really worth all this unnecessary bloodshed?

_Would she have done the same thing if it had been me to die instead of Tara? _Buffy wondered as she glanced at the starry night sky. _Probably not. I've died twice already. All she would need to do is another resurrection spell and all would be fine and dandy. She could have done the same for Tara...but I guess she's not thinking straight because unlike me, she loved Tara with all her heart. And Tara was never for resurrection spells in the first place, so I guess it would be wrong to bring her back with one. I just wish...I just wish last night wouldn't have happened._

"It shouldn't have happened," Buffy whispered without realizing it.

Atem's crimson gaze flitted over to her upon hearing her speak. "You're right. What happened last night was unfortunate. Tara's death is sad, but it has happened and there is nothing we can do about it. The past is the past. We must deal with the present now so that we have a future."

Buffy glared at him. "How can you speak so calmly about all of this? You have no right to just brush it off as just an unfortunate event! You hardly knew Tara, but I've known her for years! If Glory hadn't made so I had to die, none of this would have happened! We would still be in Sunnydale, not in this God-forsaken country! Tara would still be alive and everything would be fine! She shouldn't be dead! She didn't deserve to die!"

"No one but the wicked deserves to die," Atem said.

"Would you just stop with all the calm talk?" Buffy snapped. "I may be exhausted, but I'm sure I still have enough strength to kick your ass! You on the other hand…You're no Slayer. How you managed to keep up with me is beyond me, but I doubt you have anything left in the tank right now. Do not test me!"

"I am not trying to enrage you. And insulting me does not do anything to help you get over the fact that you are still alive while your friend is dead," Atem stated bluntly in his calm voice. Buffy was taken aback by his words and fell silent. "You may not think that I know anything about what you're going through, but you're wrong. You don't know me as well as you could. Tara received a wound much like your own, but you survived while she passed on. Such pain as that…Knowing that you could have been in her place just as easily as she could have been in yours…It's a pain that doesn't go away quickly. Trust me, I know."

"…How do you know?" Buffy asked in a barely audible voice.

"Because the same thing happened to me back in New York," Atem replied. "But more people than just one died. Five of us were sent to take out a lair of demons that had been discovered. We thought we had the upper-hand and could ambush them, but we were fools. The demons captured us. We were tortured for hours-the demons knew there were other slayers and wanted to know where they were to take them out before the slayers became a threat-but we told them nothing. The demons grew bored of us and delivered what would be our deaths…They cut us wide open at the abdomen so we would painfully bleed to death."

When he said this, he lifted up the bottom of his shirt so Buffy could see the large scar that spanned across his abdomen. He was no liar…and he was a survivor.

"The other slayers in our group came to the rescue and took out the demons, but it was too late for the other four people that came with me. I had been the last they had tried to kill, which is probably the only reason I am still alive. A witch in our ranks managed to heal me and stopped my physical pain as much as she could, but nothing could take away the emotional and mental pain I went through while recovering from the attack. All I could think about was…how was it that I could survive what the others couldn't? Why didn't I die, too? What made me so special that I got to live? Sometimes…Sometimes, I still wonder why I made it through that day. And I'm sure you're the same way right now …with what happened to Tara and what happened to you."

Buffy looked away from the all-seeing gaze of Atem and glanced down at her hands. "…I've died twice…Came back the first time because of CPR and the second time via resurrection spell…I was meant to be rotting in the ground years ago, but my friends wouldn't grant me that peace. One more death wouldn't have changed anything for me… but Tara…she needed to live. Willow needed her more than she ever needed me. Just look what happened to her. She's dark and killing people to get revenge on Dracula for Tara's death. If we had never come here-"

"She never would have died? No. Some things are unavoidable. If the Hellmouth hadn't moved to Konoha and you were still brought back and everything played out normally over in Sunnydale, something would have happened to put you and Tara in positions similar to the one you were put in last night. It was fate. I can sense it. Tara would have died one way or another."

"How do you know that? Are you psychic?"

"No. But some degree of magic does run through my veins. I am, after all, a descendant of the Egyptians, and those people were some of the most powerful magicians this world has ever known. With that in mind, I am able to tell some things that others would not understand. Bastet is the same…to a lesser degree."

"…So what? Just because she was destined to die of something I survived, I'm supposed to get over it?"

"No. Something like this cannot be gotten over unless you are heartless. But you have to accept that it happened, not act like it didn't and keep your mind occupied so you never think about it. Once you do that, then you can begin to heal…and then you can focus better on finding Willow and convert her back into the friend you know so well."

Buffy sighed. "…You know, for someone your age…You sure are wise."

Atem shrugged. "It comes from being close to death so often, I guess."

"Or maybe it's that darn Egyptian blood in your veins."

There was movement in the bushes to the left of the duo. They quickly got to their feet and drew their weapons, anticipating an attack. Buffy and Atem might have been weakened from a day of nonstop searching, but they would be able to take out a vampire or two if need be. But the only thing that emerged from the bushes was Naruto, who looked sad and pissed off and worried all at the same time. Buffy and Atem immediately lowered their weapons and relaxed a little.

"What are you doing out here, Naruto?" Buffy asked.

"I wanted to find you guys. You haven't checked in with anyone since this morning when you took off to search for Willow," Naruto replied coolly. "By the looks of it, you were unsuccessful. You guys should go home and rest. The others are already out taking care of the nighttime threats, and you guys don't look like you could last even one minute against the weakest demon, let alone a vampire. I can take over looking for Willow if you'd like."

"Why are you angry, Naruto?" Atem wanted to know.

"Because that old bat in the Hokage's chair is taking too long to set up this mission we're supposed to go on to the Sound to take out Dracula and the Sisters, that's why!" Naruto exclaimed. "She says it'll take three days for the people from the Sand to get here, and then we have to wait to get to the Sound to do anything, so it'll be over a week before we get to kick some ass! I want to avenge Tara, for Kami's sake! I can't do that if we have so many delays!"

"Wait. Tsunade wants to send us on a mission…to do what Willow wants to do?" Buffy was surprised. The Sound village was the Leaf's worst enemy, one they tried to avoid. But the Hokage wanted to send some of them with ninja from another village to attack the Sound's conquerors head-on? Was she crazy? It would be safer to just let Willow go there and take them out.

"Well, we're not taking care of her revenge for her. We're supposed to go there to take out Dracula _with _her and then talk some sense into her so that she'll return," Naruto clarified. "Granny also said that if Willow decides that this is just her revenge and attacks us, we're supposed to injure her but not kill her unless there's no other choice. Not that I would kill her…"

"None of us would. If anyone even tried that, they'd have to answer to me," Buffy remarked. "But there's one thing I don't get. How can Willow kill Dracula forever? When he came to Sunnydale, I staked him at least twice, but he just came back. Even a witch couldn't change that…could she?"

"The spell that Anko used to take Orochimaru out might be strong enough to permanently kill Dracula," Atem put in. "It would require a lot of energy to perform such a spell on such a powerful vampire without dying. That would explain why Willow has been draining power from other witches."

"Yeah, but she's powerful enough as it is. If Anko could perform that spell and live to tell about it without draining power from others, shouldn't Willow be able to do the same?" Naruto asked.

"Not necessarily. Orochimaru was a powerful old ninja, but he was a weak newborn vampire when Anko took him out with the vampire killer spell. Dracula has been alive for centuries and has acquired power with the years. It would take a lot of power to perform a spell that would end him permanently," Atem explained. "It wouldn't surprise me if Willow still didn't have enough power despite all of the lives she's taken."

"Not all of the witches in Konoha could give her the strength she needs," Buffy stated.

"Oh, damn! I know what she'll try to use to get that strength!" Naruto exclaimed after realization hit him. "If sucking it out of witches won't work, she's going to try for something else! Something that's just energy!"

"What are you talking about?" Buffy was clueless.

"Oh come on, Buffy! Do I really have to spell it out for you? I'm talking about Dawn! She's that all powerful Key, right? Full of energy in disguise as a human? She's just what Willow would need to become strong enough to destroy Dracula and the Sisters!"

"…Oh my God. Dawn! We have to get back to Dawn now!" Buffy shouted, now going into protect-sister mode. But her aching body was weak from running around all day and she collapsed as soon as she tried to run. Atem was no better.

"You two, leave this to me! I can handle Willow so she can't take Dawn! And I'll get some people to come out here and take care of you guys before something bad happens!" Naruto called, already running towards the village. "And don't worry! I won't let anything happen to Dawn! I promise!"

_I just hope you can keep that promise...for Buffy's sake, _Atem thought.

* * *

The door flew open and a force beyond their senses sent the tiles and boards flying among other things. Dawn, Karin, Suigetsu, Jugo, and Angel were quickly on their feet and ready to fight…until two of them recognized who had just walked through the door. The woman had long dark hair and eyes black as night with veins nearly popping out of her forehead, and she was dressed in dark clothes, but her face was unmistakable. Willow had come to their home, but she was still the dark witch that wanted to avenge Tara's death.

"Why are you here? Who are you?" Karin demanded as she and her comrades moved protectively in front of the human Dawn.

"I could ask you vampires the same thing. But that would be pointless since you'll be dead in a matter of seconds if you get in my way," Dark Willow stated vehemently. "You came here to escape the tyranny of the Sound and brought the Sisters here. Tara is dead because of them. I don't blame you…Not yet."

"So you're Willow? Man, the way her friends were describing her, I thought she was just a little mushy girl. This woman is nothing like I thought she'd be," Suigetsu muttered.

"Well, you'd change a lot, too, if the love of your life was killed," Jugo pointed out.

"What do you want, Willow?" Angel wanted to know since it was obvious she was still hell-bent on vengeance.

"Nothing you or the other bloodsuckers can provide. Only little Dawnie can give it to me," Dark Willow told him, but her gaze was only focused on Dawn. "A Key borne of pure energy…It will be of much use to me when I go to confront that bastard Dracula and his brides. To kill him permanently…I will need all of the energy I can get."

"…Wh-What? But Willow…I'm your friend. Why would you want to hurt me just for power?" Dawn asked with a trembling voice.

An evil smirk crept onto Dark Willow's face. "You're no friend of mine, Key. All you are is the ultimate power source for making Dracula pay. You're not even human, anyway. It won't be like I'm killing. Besides, it's not like I care about you. You're just the Key to my vengeance."

With this, Dawn began to cry again.

Dark Willow walked towards Dawn. Karin, Suigetsu, Jugo, and Angel tried to keep her away, but she brushed them aside with a flick of her wrist. They were sent flying into walls where they were held in place by her magic. Dawn backed away from the dark witch as far as she could until her back was against a wall and she could go no further.

There was no way out of this one.

Her friends were out slaying.

Shikamaru wasn't there to comfort her.

Her only means of safety were pinned to the wall.

Buffy wasn't there to take her place this time.

She was going to die at the hands of someone she loved like a sister.

Dark Willow was going to kill her.

Dawn closed her eyes as Dark Willow raised her hand. If she was going to die here, she wasn't going to watch it. She just wished the other four people in the room would close their eyes and stop yelling at Dark Willow to stop. Then she would be able to go next to peacefully.

Suddenly, there was a loud crashing sound from the window and something knocked Dark Willow from in front of Dawn. She opened her eyes to see Naruto standing in front of her and the dark witch on the floor across the room. Dark Willow looked absolutely pissed to have been separated from her source of power; Dawn began to fear for his life, but had no time to speak before the witch began casting spells. Naruto seemed unaffected by whatever she said. The Kyuubi was using his chakra to deflect the spells because his chakra was stronger than any magic any witch could ever have. Dark Willow became frustrated as she stood again. She disappeared in a blink of an eye.

In another, she was holding Naruto by his throat.

"I'll teach you to interfere, you little brat!" she roared.

And she began to sap his power right in front of Dawn.

"NARUTO!" she screamed, but it was too late.

He had taken her place this time.

He was going to die, and she would too after Dark Willow was through with him.

Dark Willow was going to kill them.

* * *

Kimimaro was awake when they passed by.

He knew that with the nightfall came danger of the supernatural creatures like himself. He also knew that the Sisters would be returning that night and that Dracula might come looking for them with other vampire ninja. Tayuya still hadn't awoken, but she had started to move in her unconscious state and mutter, and though he didn't know if that was a good sign, he took it as a sign she would be awake by tomorrow. Still, someone needed to ensure there would be a tomorrow for them. So he decided to guard her if anything dared to come into the cave. Staying awake had never been hard for him in life except when he had fallen ill; as a vampire, it was even easier.

His eyes were transfixed on the opening of the cave, though whenever he heard Tayuya they would look at her for a second before snapping back to that place. No danger so far, but a ninja never let their guard down…no matter how bored they got.

A few hours before sunrise, he heard and smelled something coming his way at speed only vampires could travel. From his time in the Sound village, he knew without a doubt the three approaching figures were the Sisters. But something was off about them. He could smell vampire blood on them. It seemed they had been injured by a wooden object of sorts. And they sounded like they were in an immense amount of pain.

_Could those underlings of Team Hebi have done this to them? _Kimimaro wondered as they came closer. _No, it couldn't be. They are just newborns like me. The Sisters are centuries old. No. A Slayer must have done this to them. Perhaps it was wise of those three to go to Konoha. Three Slayers to protect them and that can injure the Sisters. Wise, indeed. How badly did this Slayer injure the Sisters, though?_

His question was quickly answered as the Sisters passed by the opening of the cave without stopping to enter. He was able to see their injuries clearly despite their speed, because for him they were moving at a jogging pace. What he saw made his stomach turn just a little, something it hadn't done since he was a child.

One Sister's arm had been cut off ruthlessly, leaving only a bloody stub behind that could not be hidden by a sleeve. Another Sister's neck had been slashed so violently that her head was barely attached. The last Sister's face was so marred by the Slayer's handiwork that it was almost impossible to tell who she was…or what she was. Whoever had hurt the Sisters was no weakling. To have hurt such old and powerful vampires and sent them running back to the Sound…It was an amazing feat.

_And that Slayer would have no trouble doing the same to me and Tayuya,_ Kimimaro thought before false hopes could enter his head. He mentally sighed and closed his eyes for a few seconds to think. _They would never accept us after all we've done. At least Team Hebi will be safe. Children don't deserve to live a life such as ours...even if they will be children forever._

Tayuya groaned something in her sleep and Kimimaro glanced at her. She was still asleep, but what she had muttered had been unmistakable. He heard his name on her lips. Now why would she say that even if she was delirious with the results of injury?

_Don't even let your mind go there, Kimimaro, _the light-haired teen thought, turning his attention away from the pink-haired vampire before false hopes could enter his head. _She could never love you. We're just killers in this world. We'll never be anything more until the day we die. She'll never love you. You'll die alone. She'll never love you. She'll never..._

Tayuya muttered his name again.

* * *

_A/N: Cliffhanger with Naruto and Dark Willow, and a little scene for Kimimaro. So what did you think? Where will this story go next? Only time will tell. Thank you for reading. Have a nice day!_


	25. Chapter 25

_A/N: As always, I've taken forever to update. I sincerely apologize for doing so. Here's the next chapter. Please read on and enjoy.

* * *

_

Chapter 25

Naruto gasped as he felt his life being pulled from him by Dark Willow. Fighting back now was next to impossible with her hand on his throat-her magic could enter him through direct contact and there was barely anything his chakra could do to combat this. It hurt beyond words, but he could not voice his pain. The physical and emotional pain coursing through him would never be released until she released him or he died …whichever came first.

He didn't want to think about dying at the hands of someone he had once called friend. Someone that had comforted him when Sasuke had died and Sakura was on the verge of death. Someone that had always been kind to him despite who he was and who his body was host to…the demon Kyuubi. He couldn't imagine dying with his last image in life being the dark eyes of his vengeful friend. How those eyes burned with the fires of hatred! It wasn't directed at him…The hate was all for Count Dracula and his brides. But it still hurt so much to see those dark eyes…and the pain caused from losing Tara.

His cerulean eyes glanced around despite his pain to find a way out. Karin, Suigetsu, Jugo, and Angel were still being held up by Dark Willow's spells and could not escape it to free him. Dawn was on the ground, paralyzed with fear of watching him die and being the next victim. It was better that she couldn't help; if she made Dark Willow turn to her, it could mean the end of Dawn and a surge of power for the dark witch. The power of the Key could not become Dark Willow's. Naruto had to protect Dawn. He'd promised Buffy that he would.

_Come on, Kyuubi! I need your help! _Naruto shouted in his mind as he became weaker and weaker with the passing seconds. _If I die, you're gonna die, too! So come on! Lend me your chakra or knock her back yourself!_

There was no response from the nine-tailed fox demon, as he was too deep in his own musings to pay any attention to Naruto's pleas.

_**What does this mortal think she is doing, sapping my chakra? She must be too driven by her quest for vengeance to realize what a huge mistake she is making, **_Kyuubi thought. _**Very well then. I shall grant Willow the strength she needs to eliminate that nuisance vampire and his brides. But stealing my power comes with consequences. She will soon realize this once she is no longer connected to Naruto. For then…she shall feel the pain of the world, and she will know that her pain is not so bad in comparison.**_

_Hey, Fuzzball! Don't act like you can't hear me! _Naruto yelled. _Are you gonna help me or are you just gonna let us die here?_

At this, Kyuubi chuckled. _**We shall not die, Naruto. I would never allow that to happen. But I cannot guarantee that your friend will be around to live with us after what I have done takes effect.**_

_What are you talking about?_

_**You shall see soon enough.**_

When the demon believed Dark Willow had enough of his virtually limitless chakra, he used some of what was left to force her away and into another wall. She landed on her backside while Naruto's weakened body slumped to the ground so he was lying with his face towards the floor. Dark Willow was too hyped up on magic to make a move for anyone. Dawn rushed towards Naruto's body to confirm her worst fears, that he was dead because he had chosen to take her place. She screamed his name like she had when Dark Willow had first grabbed him. Not expecting a response, but hoping for one. The blonde boy turned his face in her direction as she reached his side and managed a small smile with half-opened eyes.

He was still alive! For now…

"…I promised your sister…that I would protect you," Naruto murmured as Kyuubi utilized more chakra to break the spells holding the vampires back. "And…I never go back on my word…"

"Naruto, you're a fool. You shouldn't have gotten in the way. If she had just taken me, then you'd still be in working order and you wouldn't be so close to death," Dawn cried. "It's not like my life matters. I'm not really human, anyway…I'm just a Key that some monks put in this form to keep safe from Glory. Her taking my energy wouldn't have made any difference…"

"…You're wrong. It…It would have made all the difference," Naruto claimed. "And you are human. Despite what you were a couple years ago…you are human now. Your life matters more than most, especially to…Buffy. That's why she took your place to close the portal…and that's why I promised to protect you…for her. You're more special… than you know. Don't forget…that…"

And then Naruto's eyes closed.

Dawn almost screamed his name again, but she noticed as she rolled his body onto his back that his heart was still beating and his chest was still rising and falling with every breath he took. He was still alive. He had just passed out. Dawn let out a sigh of relief. Naruto wasn't going to die…unless Dark Willow decided to attack again.

"Whoa…Where the hell did you get this power?" Dark Willow exclaimed, feeling like she was high when she really wasn't. "It's incredible! Much stronger than any energy I could have gotten from witches or the Key! It must be from that demon the Fourth Hokage sealed in you!" She glanced at Naruto and finally realized that he was unconscious. "Oh…Too bad you can't really hear me anymore. But I thank you for allowing me to steal this energy from you! This will definitely allow me to take out Dracula and his whores forever! Be glad in your pain knowing that Tara will be avenged!"

"Not so fast, Willow," Karin stated as she and those of her squad blocked the entrance. "You hurt too many people to just walk out of here. You need to come to your senses and stop with this avenging thing. I never knew Tara, but from what I've heard I don't think she would want you taking lives in her name."

"Can you not just grieve her death normally and start moving on?" Suigetsu asked coldly.

Dark Willow looked at them as one might look at an interesting bug. "How did you three get down? I do not recall letting my spells up."

"Naruto broke your spell," Angel told her as he appeared behind her, pulling her arm behind her back. "Now are you going to do things the easy way…or the hard way?"

"Hmm…The hard way sounds the most fun," Dark Willow remarked. She moved her finger and muttered something to make Angel go flying back in the direction of Dawn and Naruto. He collided with her, knocking her to the ground. With a flick of the wrist, she made the three vampires in front of her join the pile. "Oh, this power that Naruto has given me is unlike any other! I wish I had the Kyuubi demon within me!"

_**No you don't, avenge-seeking mortal,**_ Kyuubi thought from within the depths of his prison, smirking as he did so.

Then his little present kicked in. Dark Willow hardly noticed it at first, but then the pain made itself known without any chance of ignoring it. The pain of the billions of people in the world-emotional, mental, and physical-as well as that of every other living thing with feelings. The weight of the world was literally on her shoulders now. It erased her smile immediately and replaced it with a pain-filled expression that was enough to make anyone weep.

"Wh…What is this? So much…so much pain…How can the world exist with so much pain?" Dark Willow whimpered as she fell to her knees, holding her sides as if that would heal her. "Is this…Is this what Naruto goes through every day because of Kyuubi?"

_**No, **_Kyuubi mused. _**It's something that only you shall feel until your anger fades.**_

"I…I have to get out of here. I have to finish my vengeance…and then I have to end this world so the pain will go away!" Dark Willow exclaimed.

Before anyone could stop her, she disappeared in the blink of an eye. But with what she had said before, it seemed she had more than enough power to destroy Dracula and the Sisters. No more people would die…until her revenge was filled out and she decided to end the world in one way or another.

"Naruto, is he…?" Dawn asked without being able to finish her question as the others removed themselves from the pile Dark Willow had forced them into.

Karin leaned over the motionless boy and checked his vitals. "He'll live and he'll be fine. He just needs to rest for a bit. He's one of the lucky ones since he has the Kyuubi sealed in him. The demon kept him from truly experiencing the harm she inflicted upon him. If you had been in his place, you would not be as lucky."

Dawn's bottom lip trembled and she looked down at the peaceful face of Naruto. _She's right. Naruto and I are not alike beyond being in human form. It's because of the demon trapped within that he survived. If it had been my throat that Dark Willow was clutching, I would have been dead and all the energy of the Key would have become hers. And then what would have happened?_

"There are more important things to worry about than what could have been and an unconscious boy," Jugo muttered.

"Yeah. That psycho bitch is gonna try to destroy the world once she's finished with Dracula and his brides," Suigetsu agreed.

"I guess we're going to have to pay another visit to the Hokage," Karin murmured with a sigh. "So…who wants to carry the kid?"

"No. He doesn't have to be carried. I'll stay here with him," Dawn said. She didn't want to leave the house now with all that had just happened, and though she knew that Dark Willow had enough energy for her vengeance, she was still afraid to go out. It felt much safer to just be at home despite having the angry witch break in.

"Your sister would never forgive me if I left you here unprotected," Angel remarked.

"I'll explain it to her when she and Atem get home. Just go," Dawn grumbled.

"Someone should stay with you," Karin stated. "Suigetsu, you stay."

"What? Why me? You should do it!" Suigetsu exclaimed.

"Why do you say that?" Karin demanded.

"Because you're the only other girl here and you'd get along with her better!" Suigetsu snapped. "And you know I don't like people! Look how long it took me to get to tolerate you and Jugo here! It'll take even longer to tolerate all these new faces we've got ourselves mixed with! So you should know better than to leave me alone with her!"

"I've got a simple solution to this. Rock Paper Scissors," Jugo said. "Loser stays."

Team Hebi engaged.

Round one…

Round two…

Karin goes.

Round three…

Round four…

Jugo goes.

Suigetsu stays.

"Damn it!" he growled. "How the hell was I beaten?"

"Because we can read you like a book," Karin replied with a teasing smile. "See you after we deliver the bad news to Tsunade!"

_I hate you to my core, _Suigetsu thought bitterly, though something deep inside disagreed.

* * *

The sun began to rise in the east after a full night's work was finally completed. Sakura and Spike were heading back towards his place with Cooro, as she had decided to name the raven, flying overhead. There wasn't enough sunlight to hurt Spike yet, but they were cutting it pretty close. The others would be returning to their homes, too, and after noon they would come back out to tend to their ninja training. The same old routine…

Only today it would be a little different.

There would be no training today, as something else would be consuming that time.

Tara's funeral.

It would be like none Sakura had ever seen, as these people were all Christians. The people around here were all Shinto, Buddhist, or Hindu, and that last one was pretty uncommon. Tsunade had made the necessary arrangements for Tara's funeral as far as religion went. Her body would be buried underneath a willow tree on the edge of the forests, set apart from those of the natives so that it would be easier to find if one wished to visit Tara. The reason for her resting place being under a willow tree was simple; her lover bore that name and in this way, they would never be separated.

Sakura wasn't sure how she felt about this. Everything seemed to be happening so fast. Tara had only died two nights ago when Team Hebi tried to escape the Sisters. They were already putting her in the ground? Willow wasn't going to be there to say goodbye. How would she feel when reality finally dawned on her? That Tara was gone and nothing could bring her back?

"You all right, cherry blossom?" Spike asked, noticing the sparse tears that were beginning to fall from Sakura's eyes.

"…Yeah…I'm fine," she sniffed. She quickly wiped away the tears with the back of her hand. "I was just…thinking about Willow and how she'll feel when she comes back… and finally realizes that Tara's gone for good. And…the funeral is later today…so…"

"I understand. No need to be ashamed to cry, Sakura. I've seen your tears before," Spike remarked.

"But it was different before. I had a real reason to cry when my parents died and when I found out Sasuke was a vampire. I hardly knew Tara…so how can I cry about her being dead?" Sakura wanted to know.

"You don't need to know a person well to miss them," was Spike's vague reply.

Sakura sighed. "I guess you're right."

"I hear the Hokage arranged for Sasuke and Bastet to join us. You know, since they knew the deceased and all," Spike commented. "So there's one bright spot in this day of gloom. You'll get to see your beau again. Not on the most pleasant of terms, but you'll still get to be together before he has to return to his restitution sentence for the next twenty years."

Sakura glared at him. "That's not funny, Spike."

Spike smirked. "It wasn't meant to be."

The pink-haired Slayer sighed. "You are right, though. It will be good to see Sasuke again…even if he did just leave two nights ago. There used to be a time when I couldn't imagine living a day without seeing Sasuke, back when I was a silly little girl with a silly little crush. Now I'm a bit more mature and though I don't want to live without him, I know I can and it's necessary for us to be separated for now. I can get along without him for now. I guess. Maybe…"

"Who are you trying to fool?"

Sakura's shoulders slumped and she let out an anime mushroom. "Myself mostly. I still can't imagine life without Sasuke…I've seen him every day since I went into the Ninja Academy. Not having that opportunity until he makes up for taking all those lives as a crazed newborn…You've gotta cut me some slack, Spike. I'm just a thirteen-year-old girl, you know. I have an imbalance of hormones that makes me want Sasuke. Can't you remember back to when you were thirteen?"

"Yeah. Everyone wore wigs, drank tea, and was a lot nicer than they are nowadays. And there wasn't any real technology, so the communities were a lot quieter, too. Gluttony and paleness showed your worth and hard work was overlooked as nothing special. Most the women were ugly pigs and the pretty ones never came my way. Ah, the good ol' days."

"…You died a virgin, didn't you?"

"Oh, shut up."

The house in which everyone from the States was staying in now stood in front of them. Sakura knew she should be heading back to the Uchiha mansion where she stayed now, but today it didn't feel completely right to just head home and see these people at the funeral. She should at least say hi before leaving. Spike opened the door and made a gentleman-like gesture to let her in first. She gave him a small smile as she walked into his supposedly temporary home. She half-expected for him to pull something, but the vampire just walked in after her and closed the door behind them.

The pink-haired Slayer couldn't believe her eyes when she entered the living room. It was in total disarray, as if a tornado had come in and blew everything around into the walls before disappearing. There were several holes in the walls where something-or someone-had collided with them, and one of the windows had been shattered. Someone had already taken the liberty to cover the broken window with plywood for the undead people's sake, and Suigetsu was starting to pick up. Dawn had righted the couch where Naruto now laid, still unconscious from having his energy sapped by Dark Willow. Seeing him like that was what really shocked Sakura.

Suigetsu halted in his not-assigned work when two more people decided to enter the building. The others that had been out slaying that lived here had already returned, including Buffy and Atem. Those two practically had to drag themselves through the door, and they were both snoring in their rooms; they would probably do so for the whole day if Tara's funeral wasn't this day. Everyone else besides him and Dawn had also made their ways to their rooms and were sleeping for the few hours they had to spare. Dawn, who had been silent ever since the three vampires left, sat by Naruto's side, fighting off the fatigue that threatened to overtake her with every passing second. Why she was fighting sleep was anyone's guess. Perhaps she was waiting up for her boyfriend? Or maybe she wanted to be sure Naruto would wake up?

"What happened here?" Spike asked after observing the damage.

"Your crazy witch friend dropped by," Suigetsu replied. "Came to take Dawn's power. She tossed us around a bit, but as you can see, she didn't get Dawn. Naruto got in the way and she sapped him instead. Good thing he's got that demon in him. Otherwise he'd be dead. Well, that might still come to pass if your crazy friend has her way."

"Wh…What do you mean by that?" Sakura wanted to know, a little shaken by the news that Naruto had been hurt by Dark Willow.

"The Kyuubi…He did something to the chakra that Willow took from Naruto," Dawn murmured, stifling a yawn as she looked at Spike and Sakura through half-closed eyes. "Now she feels…the pain of every living thing on Earth…and wants to destroy it once she's through…with Dracula."

"How does she plan on doing that?" Spike wondered.

Suigetsu shrugged. "She didn't say, but a witch as powerful as her could end the world in any way she wanted. Angel and the other two members of my squad already alerted Tsunade of this. There is very little we can do to stop her from doing what she wants since no one around here is as strong as she is. But that won't stop us from trying."

"We can't do anything anyway until those ninja from the Sand get here and we reach the Sound village," Dawn remarked, recalling what Buffy had told them when she had finally returned a few hours ago.

"Willow could have everything done by then," Spike muttered.

"…You say she's feeling the pain of every living thing on Earth? I think that will hinder her motion and halt her progress to complete her vengeance and destroy the world. I mean, think about it. When we experience our own pain, it takes a lot of willpower to move…and that's the pain of one person. Imagine that kind of pain times the trillions of life forms on this planet. Wherever she is, I don't think she'll be moving from there for some time when she becomes accustomed to the pain," Sakura stated.

"The pink-haired girl's got a point. I wasn't able to move for days after I became a vampire, and that was my own pain," Suigetsu put in. "I can't even begin to comprehend what Willow must be going through now. I almost feel sorry for her…but she did toss me around and that hurt quite a bit, so then again I don't feel sorry for her. That Kyuubi really knows how to debilitate a person."

"You can't expect less from a demon of his stature," Dawn agreed.

"At least he's on our side for now," Spike grumbled.

Sakura yawned, the effects of being out all night slaying beginning to take their toll on her. "Well, not that this isn't any fun…but I'm tired. We all should get some rest before Tara's funeral. That includes you, Dawn. We can worry about Willow later. Let's all just get some sleep…This will be our last chance for it for the rest of the day, after all. Bye."

She waved farewell to the three people before leaving with Cooro flying overhead again. Spike put out the cigarette he had been smoking this whole time and muttered something about getting some shut-eye before the tear-fest over Tara would begin. Dawn was snoring lightly when Suigetsu looked back at her, and she looked surprisingly peaceful for someone that had almost died that night. The light-haired vampire didn't feel tired at all; he hadn't felt that way ever since becoming a vampire. The house was still in disarray and Karin would chew him out if she came back to find it that way even though it wasn't his fault. He didn't owe these people anything…but he would have felt bad if he left this place so messed up.

So he continued his good deed of the day by silently repairing the damage done when Dark Willow decided to pay a visit.

And the rest of the house slept on.

* * *

Hinata sighed and her body trembled with suppressed sadness as she looked at herself in the mirror. She was back in the Main House of the Hyuuga clan though she still wasn't back to one hundred percent. Fighting the Sisters was hard and her Slayer healing was trying its best to repair the damage caused by them, but it would still be a couple of days before she was back to normal. Not that her own condition mattered much today. Today the casualty of the Sisters' onslaught would be laid to rest at last. It would be different than any other funeral Hinata had been to because the foreigners were Christians, but she had to go to respect the memory of her friend. That was why she had slipped into her funeral kimono-a simple black form of the complex article of clothing.

She looked so pale in comparison as she looked at herself in the mirror, which in turn made her bruises and cuts stick out even more than usual. Was it just her, or did she look dead, too? Most of her injuries were a result of her protecting Naruto when the Sisters began to throw their daggers so quickly…The only reason she wasn't in the same place as Tara was she could create a chakra barrier that protected her from the most serious blows. Perhaps Hinata really was dead and she just didn't realize it yet…

There was a loud insistent banging at the bathroom door. Hinata knew who was there and reluctantly opened the door so the person would stop being so annoying. Little Hanabi hadn't expected the door to open and fell flat on her face on the floor.

"Yes, Hanabi?" Hinata murmured without looking at her sister.

"It's about time! You've been hogging the bathroom for over an hour!" the younger Hyuuga exclaimed.

"Hanabi, be nice to your sister," the commanding voice of their father and the leader of the clan ordered as he appeared in the doorway. He was also dressed in his funeral clothes as he would be escorting Hinata to the funeral. She had asked him to. "She has lost a friend recently. You should be considerate of her feelings."

"Yeah, and she should be considerate of the fact that I have to pee and this is the only open bathroom in the house right now!" Hanabi remarked. "Now get out, get out! I gotta go!"

Hanabi practically shoved Hinata out and slammed the door in the faces of her father and sister. Her father, Hiashi, just smiled at his younger daughter's naïveté and put a fatherly arm around Hinata's shoulders. She let him lead her outside onto the patio and sat down with him on the stairs. She had never felt good enough for her father before since she was the failure of the Main House, but now she felt so close to him…

The sky was beginning to fill with gray clouds, making it seem like it would rain by the time Tara's casket would be put in the ground. That would allow for her vampire friends to come without fear of being singed. And it would fit the mood, just like it had when the Third Hokage's death had been grieved by all of Konoha. Hinata's bottom lip trembled and she bit her tongue to keep from crying. There would be time for that later. Now was not the appropriate time for tears as she had already cried so many over Tara. The night she died and the morning where her body was taken to the morgue…Hinata had cried so long on both of those occasions. When Tara was put to rest…That would be the last time she would ever let herself cry over her because then she would finally be able to move on with her life.

"How are you feeling today, Hinata?" Hiashi asked politely as he was concerned for her.

"…I am fine, Father," she murmured, fidgeting nervously while keeping back her tears. "My wounds…They're healing as fast as they can. You know if I was not one of the Slayers that I would still be in the hospital…not here with you."

Hiashi smiled. "That is not what I meant, child. I am aware of your physical condition. It's your mental and emotional condition that I am not so sure about. Please enlighten me so that I can try to help you. That is my role as the father, after all."

Hinata sighed. "I hurt, Father. A lot. I…I…I was there when she died…I was so close to her in that clearing and so close to…to being just like her. We were fighting the Sisters together…and then those vampires were losing…and they rotated together and shot out their daggers too fast for the eye to keep up with. The others…The others took cover before they could be hit. Naruto…He was too weak to move, so I used my body and my chakra to shield him and ward off death blows to myself. But Tara…Tara…No one was able to protect her…Daddy, there were so many daggers sticking out of her!"

She couldn't hold back the tears any longer and felt weak for crying in front of her father. Hiashi didn't mind it as much as she thought he would; he just wrapped his arms around Hinata and let her cry into his chest like any good father would.

"…Buffy…she was also hit…by one of the daggers," Hinata stammered when she could find her voice again. "But…But…Karin was able to get to her and…and…and heal her with her chakra. The Sisters…They got away, but…not without consequence. I…I hurt them, too, Daddy. I used my wooden sword-staff…and I made them pay for taking Tara's life. I…I…wasn't able to kill them…but I hurt them pretty badly. They…They won't be …coming back here any time soon."

"I am sorry for the death of your comrade, but I am proud of you," Hiashi stated.

That was the first time that her father had ever said that, and Hinata's heart skipped a beat when she heard those five words. He was proud of her…for the first time in her life. He was proud of her. She was no longer a failure in his eyes. He was proud of her…even though she was dampening his shirt with her tears. How long she had waited to hear those words!

"But Hinata…There is something I must disclose to you," he said after a few minutes had passed and she had a better control over her emotions.

And her heart dropped into her stomach out of fear of what that was.

She pulled back from his arms and looked at his face with red eyes that were no longer wet but instead were wide, wondering what it was that he was going to tell her now.

"Hinata, ever since you've discovered that you are a Slayer and told the rest of us this, I have been worried about you. I fear for your life every moment I am awake and whenever I dream, my mind creates different scenarios where your life is lost. I am never at peace anymore now that I have a Slayer for a daughter. You have gotten stronger and your confidence has improved, but…Look what happened to you. You were just injured this time. But I…I don't want to lose you. What I'm trying to say…is this. I don't want you to be a Slayer anymore, Hinata. I want you to return to being a normal kunoichi and to never ever go out at night to slay again," Hiashi told her, speaking with more emotion than she had ever heard before.

For the longest time since she had started her ninja training, Hinata thought that her father hated her and could care less what became of her. But now, for the first time, she could see how much Hiashi really loved her, the thing that he had hidden from her behind his disappointment in her ninja skills-or lack there of. He really wanted her to give up slaying, to be home with him where he believed she'd be safe from the creatures of the night. He wanted her to be home with him.

Was it possible to stop slaying when one was the Slayer? Hinata thought about it for a moment. She could choose to quit going out at night if she wanted, so long as she consulted Tsunade first and expressed her father's concern. But she wouldn't be safe from the creatures of the night. They would know who she was and she would still be hunted. Or worse, her family could be hurt or killed when she was hunted down. She couldn't put them in jeopardy just because her father wanted her to stay home and be 'safe from harm'. Now that she was a Slayer, she could never be safe from harm.

"Father…I am sorry, but I cannot stop being the Slayer," Hinata whispered, looking at her hands instead of Hiashi's face. "Even if I wanted to…It wouldn't keep me from being hurt. The creatures of the night would still hunt me down and not only would I be in danger, but so would the rest of the clan. And it's not like my life wasn't in danger before …I am a ninja, Father. My life will always be in danger. But I'm not alone out in the field. I have my friends and comrades to back me up. And I have to back them up. That's why I cannot stop slaying. Can you…accept that? Please?"

Hiashi sighed, and Hinata prepared to be condescended for not doing what he asked.

"I suppose you are right, Hinata. I cannot be so selfish if it puts the people in such danger," he said without being condescending at all. "Just…try to be safe out there from now on. Okay?"

Hinata glanced up at her father with a small smile. "Okay."

Hanabi glanced through the screen door at her sister and father with a smile of her own. _I'm glad they're getting along now, _she thought. _Perhaps now Father won't rely so heavily on me to be the best kunoichi to arise from our House. I'm tired of always having to train so much! Man, Daddy works me like a freaking dog!_

Hiashi stood up suddenly as he glimpsed Neji coming their way from the Branch House. Hinata saw her cousin dressed just like they were and knew what his appearance meant.

"It's time," her father stated as she stood beside him now.

Her bottom lip trembled, and she took her daddy's hand for support as the trio began to walk towards Tara's final resting place.

* * *

It was raining when everyone gathered on the outskirts of the forest under the willow tree. The hole had already been dug and the maple casket waited beside it to be lowered into the ground. The priest was there, holding his Bible patiently. He would begin speaking soon, reciting his memorized verses that were said at every funeral. To him, this was just another dead woman going into the ground that he was sending off.

It was not so to those gathered around.

Tara had been their friend…their teacher…their comrade…their student.

She had been so many things…

And now she was gone.

Everyone was dressed in black as was the universal custom for funerals, and were clustered here and there near the grave. And yet there was a definite separation of the people, as the foreigners stood to the left while the natives stood to the right. Sakura stood with Sasuke, Naruto, Iruka, Kakashi, Ino, and Rock Lee; Sasuke was holding her as the tears fell from her emerald eyes and Lee was likewise occupied with Ino. Naruto glanced over to where Hinata was standing with Hiashi, Neji, Gai, and Tenten. She was crying, too, but not as much as he would have expected. Perhaps her tears were already spent previously. Kurenai and Asuma's squads-or what remained of them that weren't mingling with other groups-stood together, though most of them didn't appear to be shedding any tears. Atem and Bastet stood apart from the rest, and though neither of them had wet eyes, they felt the pain of Tara's loss just as strongly as the others.

Buffy held Angel's hand as she listened to the priest begin his words that were supposed to help the living move on, feeling dead inside but still seeking comfort for the pain she didn't feel right now. Dawn stood crying off to the side of her sister, glancing over at Shikamaru. She would rather have been in his arms right then, but she was haunted by the knowledge that he didn't know Tara as well as she did and he wouldn't understand her pain. That was the only reason she didn't go running over to him. Xander and Anya tried to look casual, like this didn't hurt, but that was a lot easier said than done. Giles stood in the middle of the Americans, just looking straight ahead without really feeling anything. Spike just stuffed his hands in the pockets of his duster and kept his gaze on the ground, careful not to stand too close to the others.

Tsunade and Shizune stood right in front of the grave, in the middle of the separation.

Oz had neglected to show, saying it wouldn't have felt right but not explaining why. The three newbie vampires hadn't known Tara for more than a few minutes and so they had chosen to remain at home. Anko would have come to bid farewell to a fellow witch, but she had been called in on a mission and had to leave. Besides those five and Willow, everyone that had ever known Tara in Konoha had turned out to say goodbye.

And their tears mingled with the rain.

The ANBU that escorted Sasuke and Bastet here lifted Tara's casket off of the ground when the priest gestured for them to do so and lowered it into the grave. Cooro was perched on a branch of the willow tree and let out a soft caw in respect to the fallen witch as the ninja began to cover the coffin with the dirt-turned-mud. The priest continued to say his verses of the Bible while the coffin disappeared from view and six feet of dirt-turned-mud was placed over it. Soon the only sign that Tara lay there would be the grassless patch of earth and the gravestone that bore her name, date of birth, and date of death.

The priest finished his duty and waited patiently for Tsunade to tell him what to do now. She cleared her throat before dismissing him with the ANBU to escort him back to the airport. Then she turned to the people that had shown up. Now was the time to tell them about Dark Willow and the mission they would be heading on in two days' time.

"I know that we just said goodbye to Tara, but there are important matters that we must attend to now in regards to Willow and the Sound village," Tsunade said. "As some of you are aware, Willow came to visit the Americans' home last night. She intended to take the powers of the Key…Dawn…but Naruto played the hero and got in her way. So he was sapped of his power instead. But that was a foolish move on Willow's part, for as you all know by now, Naruto possesses the Nine-Tailed Fox within. Kyuubi did something to the chakra Willow stole, and this thing he did cursed her to feel the pain of every living thing on this planet. Now she has the potential to permanently kill Dracula and the Sisters…but she also wants to destroy the world to end the pain.

"We are going to assist her in taking out the menace ruling the Sound village, but we are also going to try to stop her from destroying the world. Naruto and I discussed this yesterday. I have sent word to the Sand asking for Gaara and his siblings to join us on a mission to liberate the Sound. Those three shall arrive in two days. When they do, several of you will be heading with them to the Sound village to complete the mission I have already said. Those people will be Squad 7, Squad 8, Shikamaru Nara, Rock Lee, Neji Hyuuga, Buffy Summers, Angel, Spike, and Atem Mahado. The rest of you will remain here to cover slaying and missions. Or, in the case of two of you, continuing your restitution sentence.

"I want you all to be prepared for this. Dracula and the Sisters are some of the oldest vampires and will not be easy to kill forever even with Willow going against them. And though Hinata did a number on the Sisters after they ended Tara's life, I wouldn't count them out of the fight just yet. They will have time recuperate just like we will, and after being injured so, I am sure they will be pissed and there's nothing worse than an angry woman as an opponent. There may be casualties since we are unsure how many loyal followers of Orochimaru have decided to become loyal followers of Count Dracula. But I want you all to know…We are so proud of each and every one of you, and you will always be a hero of the Leaf village, no matter what. And please…do your best to stay safe out there…for all of us that won't be able to be out there to help you."

So they would be going on a mission to the Sound soon.

And the chances of coming back were slim, all things considered…especially since Dark Willow wanted to destroy the world.

Sakura exchanged glances with Sasuke. What was she getting into now?

* * *

_A/N: End of a chapter that took forever to get online. Sorry. What did you think of this? Please tell me. Thank you for reading!_


	26. Chapter 26

_A/N: It's been over a month since I updated. Sorry for keeping you waiting so long. Here's another chapter. Please read on.

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_

Chapter 26

Dark Willow lay in the dark forests while the sky grew dark with the approach of night, clutching her sides so tightly that her nails dug into her skin. The pain of the world had rendered her immobile now; it made her sick to know there was nothing she could do to alleviate this pain until later. She convinced herself that she would grow accustomed to it in time, perhaps a couple of days, and then she could move to exact her vengeance.

And she would be able to exact her vengeance with the power she had absorbed from Naruto's body. There was no doubt about that. Her dark, twisted mind believed that her curse was worth this power…and even if it wasn't, the world wouldn't be around much longer, anyway. She had vowed to destroy it once her vengeance was complete. She never went back on her word. There was no one in this world as powerful as she was except for maybe those with demons sealed within them, but they would be unaware of her plans until it was too late.

No one could stop her.

Dark Willow let out a hoarse evil laugh at that thought, smiling despite her pain.

"What do you find so funny in your state?"

She whipped her head around to find herself staring Oz right in the face. If she wasn't so bent on vengeance, she might have cared that she had once loved this man. But it was love and the loss of that love that had driven her to this point, so she didn't care about her past feelings anymore…only those concerning the reason she was going to kill Dracula. The dark-haired man was wearing next to nothing; only a pair of jeans and his silver choker were on his body. She understood what this meant.

Tonight was a full moon.

"…Were you hunting me?" Dark Willow asked, glaring at him with her dark eyes.

"Yes…I was," Oz replied. "I came to stop you from continuing with all of this. You've killed so many people, Will. You used to have no blood on your hands, but now they're so coated with it that no amount of washing can remove it. This is all in the name of vengeance for Tara, and I can understand why you would want to go after Dracula and his brides. But why do so many innocent people have to die? Will, you've taken so many innocent lives for what? Answer that."

Something flickered in Dark Willow's eyes, but quickly disappeared. "For power to avenge Tara…and because they were easily broken."

Oz shook his head. "The first part is believable, but that second part would never be spoken by you. Your vengeance has consumed you so much that you can't distinguish the innocent from the guilty. I've come here to stop you, Will, no matter what the cost."

"So you want to die, too?" Dark Willow let loose a barking laugh. "No one can stop me from exacting my vengeance! Especially not you! Even in your werewolf form, you won't stand a chance! And even if you could, do you think you could stand to hurt your precious little Willow? I think not!"

His eyes narrowed. "Then you think wrong. I would hurt you-break all of your bones, make you bleed, knock you unconscious-if it meant that you would have no choice but to stop this meaningless killing spree. Perhaps fighting you will finally wake you up from this crazy nightmare."

"Whatever. I shall fight you and kill you. Hell, you would be dead in a couple of days, anyway. Why wait when you could be put in the ground tonight?" Dark Willow muttered casually as she staggered to her feet, grimacing from the continuous pain of the world.

"Put me in the ground like Tara was today?"

At this, Dark Willow froze and stared at Oz.

"That's right. Your lover was laid to rest under a willow tree today with practically all of her friends there to bear witness. A few were missing for reasons that made sense, but the most important person had no reason to not be there. You were too blinded by your lust for vengeance to come to Tara's funeral. Now you'll never truly have closure for her death," Oz remarked.

A single tear fell from the witch's dark eye, but she barely seemed fazed by the knowledge that she had missed Tara's funeral. "It's better this way. Now I will be sure to avenge her without breaking down like a weakling."

_Willow...You're lost, aren't you?_ Oz thought as the moon came out and he shifted from man to large brown wolf. _Well, let me try to help you find your way._

And the two entered a fierce battle…

To the death.

* * *

"Lee, shouldn't you be with Ino instead of out here slaying with me and Neji and Gai?" Tenten asked, walking beside the black-furred werewolf that was on her squad. Gai had split them into pairs and somehow she had been stuck with Rock Lee instead of Neji. "I mean, after that funeral earlier today, I thought she might need the support. You know, since Tara was her teacher and all. They seemed pretty close."

The werewolf lowered his eyes. "I want to be, but her father would not let me. As soon as the funeral ended he came and took her home. I tried to go over there. He told me he would take care of his daughter and closed the door in my face without further explanation." Rock Lee sighed. "I do not think he likes me."

"Then that's his fault. I didn't like you when I first met you, but now that I really know you we've become good friends," Tenten said with a smile.

Rock Lee returned her smile with his wolfish one. "Thank you, Tenten."

There were many battles going on this night, but no one needed any backup; they had the situation under control. Tenten got a little worried every time that she heard Neji fighting over the wireless headset, but every time it was proved to be for nothing. Luckily she and Rock Lee hadn't stumbled upon any demons or vampires or werewolves. It wasn't that she didn't want to test her weaponry skills against them. It's just that she preferred not to be put in life-or-death situations where there were things worse than death on the line. It was bad enough she was friends with a lot of those kinds of creatures. She didn't want to become one, too.

_Boring is better than something, _Tenten thought with a content grin.

"Tenten, I smell something," Rock Lee remarked suddenly, his large muzzle sniffing the air. "I believe it is blood. Fresh blood. And…I think someone is dead."

The brunette kunoichi's blood ran cold when she heard that. She reluctantly followed her friend in the direction of the blood, fearing what, or rather who, she would find when they came to the source. They just laid one friend to rest. Another one would just be pushing it. Tenten hated death despite being a ninja…It was different. A battle between ninja was a battle between human enemies where either person has an equal chance of winning. A death there was one with honor. Any unfair fight that resulted with death, like between a supernatural creature and a normal human was dishonorable…and there was a horror to that death that there never could be with ninja battles.

Neji entered another battle with another vampire, catching Tenten offguard. She was so busy listening to his fight that she wasn't really paying attention to where she was going. She tripped over a root and fell on her face. Grumbling, she pushed herself up…only to come face-to-face with the pale face of Oz. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw his glazed over eyes and the vulgar remains of his body. It was now obvious who the fresh blood had come from.

It was from Oz…

Because he had been killed.

Tenten hurried to her feet and buried her face into Rock Lee's furry shoulder in order to keep herself from looking at the corpse. The werewolf forced himself to overlook the identity of the deceased to discover what it was that had killed him. The wounds seemed to have been inflicted by spells, not physical blows. It had to have been a witch that took him out…or some other magic-using creature.

Someone had burned a message for them in the tree next to Oz's body. It was only one six-letter word, but it left no room for doubt of who had been responsible for the death of this man.

Willow.

_He must have been hunting her when he neglected to show at the funeral. If I recall, he was once involved with Willow. His old feelings might have driven him to try and stop her from continuing her path of vengeance himself...and then this happened,_ Rock Lee thought morosely. _Poor Oz...At least he tried._

"Tenten, did you find something?" Gai asked over the wireless headset.

The girl was unable to answer. Her throat felt so tight with sadness and her eyes were so filled with tears. Speech would not have been possible. She swallowed as hard as she could to get the lump to go away. To no avail.

"Tenten? Are you there?" Neji demanded; he had probably activated his Byakugan by then and was searching her out.

"I will answer for you," Rock Lee offered. He himself had no headset because of his transformation. Tenten pressed the button on her headset so her comrades could hear Rock Lee. "Gai-sensei, we found a dead body of someone that had been hunting Willow. It was a werewolf apparently, for the body is without clothing now. We believe that he was killed by Willow when he finally confronted her."

"…Do you know the identity of the man?" Neji wanted to know.

Rock Lee didn't reply because he didn't know how to reply. Tenten surprised him by doing it herself.

"…Yes, Neji…It's Oz," she whimpered, sounding weaker than ever.

* * *

Dark Willow shuddered in her new hideout in a tree somewhere in the middle of Konoha's forest. Fighting Oz had had its consequences. His claws and teeth had gotten her in multiple places and he had indeed made her bleed, but the pain from his attacks was not the painful part. All the damage she inflicted upon him she felt herself. Hurting him hurt her just as strongly. And killing him had been a pain like no other; it had taken all of her willpower to get away from him so she would not be captured by those that stumbled upon his body.

Now the full consequence of killing him was rattling her body, rendering her unable to do anything but puke her guts out and shake like a leaf in the wind.

Perhaps she would not be as ready in two days as she thought she would be.

* * *

Kimimaro was standing guard when he heard a moan from within the cave. Tayuya had not been quiet since the previous night; he had become accustomed to it to the point where he could completely ignore it if he chose. But this moan was different from all the others. It sounded as if she were awaking. He spared a glance into the dark cave to see if it was so. Her pink-orange head rose from the stone floor for the first time in days and her hand clutched her brow like one might do if they had a headache. Her back was to him, but she would know she was not alone.

"…What happened, Kimimaro?" she asked, her voice hoarse from disuse.

He turned his green eyes back to the night world crossing his arms across his chest. "…Dracula killed the others. He almost killed you, but I managed to stop him and retreated from his domain. We are in the forests between the Sound and the Leaf. We have not been hunted as of yet. And it has been three nights since our battle with the dictator of our home."

Tayuya turned and stared at the back of his head with disbelief. "…You…You rescued me…and retreated from a battle with me in tow? But…That's so not like you! You've never cared about your comrades…and you've never turned tail in the midst of a battle! Why did you do so this time?"

_Because...I'm not the monster I once was anymore, _Kimimaro thought. "…I promised Kabuto-san that we would leave if the battle looked hopeless. I kept my word to my superior. I was just too late to save the others. We should have left the battlefield much sooner than we did. If Kidomaru had survived as well, then we would have been able to take Dracula out…or at least render him unable to cause any more harm."

"So, what do we do now?" Tayuya mused, resting the back of her head against the wall of the cave with her eyes closed. "We can't go back to the Sound village. That bastard would have us killed once we were spotted. And if we try to go anywhere else, people will recognize us as Lord Orochimaru's old pets…or if they don't, they'll find out we're vampires. That's a dead end…literally. We definitely cannot go to the Leaf village. Well, you might be able to, but I can't. I helped with the assassination of the Third Hokage. I'd be dead as soon as I was spotted. We're in a very sticky situation here, aren't we?"

"Yes. It appears so," Kimimaro replied.

"We could always stay here until things cool down in the Sound or Dracula is defeated. I mean, the Leaf village and its allies are sure to get involved sooner or later. And it's not like we can go anywhere. This is the safest place for us at the moment. You said so yourself; no one has come looking for us yet. They're not likely to hunt us now if they haven't already," Tayuya claimed.

Kimimaro didn't say anything in response, and Tayuya didn't expect him to. The silence continued between them as the night dragged on towards morning. The girl pulled out her flute from within her sleeve and started playing the notes. Normally these notes were rough and used to control creatures she summoned for battle, but not now. She played a beautiful melody to fill the silence of the night, to forget what a dangerous situation she and Kimimaro were stuck in like trapped animals. The light-haired vampire didn't mind her music, and if he hadn't been a strictly-trained ninja he might have gotten lost in the harmony.

She continued playing until the crack of dawn before pulling the instrument from her lips and looking at Kimimaro again.

"It's time we went hunting, Kimimaro. Maybe not humans since it's impossible to get near any here, but something. Man, I'm hungrier than that fatso Jirobo used to be right now. I'd even drink skunk's blood; that's how hungry I am," Tayuya remarked bitterly.

Kimimaro silently agreed. He hadn't hunted since the day he had retreated with Tayuya from certain death. "The sun will not harm us here in the dense forest. We can hunt the creatures that live here. But I must warn you…Animal blood is nothing like the blood of humans."

"I don't care so long as I drink _something_!" Tayuya exclaimed before bolting past him into the dark forest beyond.

The teen shook his head, resisting the urge to smile at Tayuya's childish behavior. She had always been a little immature and rude, but he had hardly noticed until now. He followed her in search of blood, running at top speed just to check up to her. She grinned at his sudden appearance. This confused him. How could she be glad that he was with her? She had never been that way before. Perhaps it was because they were the only two members left of the Sound Five…?

Tayuya's gaze shifted away from him and she pounced on an unfortunate badger that had made a sudden appearance in her line of view. She proceeded to drain the creature of its blood until it lay limp in her hand. Then she dropped it back onto the ground where scavengers would eventually erase any traces of its existence. Kimimaro landed himself a fox, which he also dropped to the ground once he was finished with it.

They continued to hunt for about another hour before their hunger was sated. Tayuya sat herself down on a branch of a tree, swinging her legs like a little girl while she looked into the trees beyond. Kimimaro was beside her out of courtesy more than anything; he didn't know how he should act around her anymore now that her behavior had changed. Her hair hung loosely in her face for the first time that he could remember. The bandages that usually kept it out of her face had been lost at the battlefield during their fight against Dracula. She looked very beautiful…but then again she had always looked that way.

"Kimimaro, I'm glad that you were the one that made it through with me," Tayuya said suddenly, catching the male teen offguard. She glanced over at him and flashed him a small smile.

"Why do you say that?" he wanted to know.

Tayuya turned her gaze back towards the trees. "…Because it's the truth. You're the strongest of us; you've always been. Every mission Orochimaru-sama ever sent the five of us on we completed without trouble because of you. If it wasn't for you, we would have been dead long ago. I hate to say this, but it's because of that strength and your lineage…that you were always Orochimaru's favorite. I don't give a rat's ass for that man any longer honestly…but that's beside the point. With the two of us finally free from anyone's tyranny, the world had best watch out. The others were strong too…Sakon and Ukon with their strange merging ability, Kidomaru with his spider web stuff, that fat ass Jirobo with his ability to eat everything including chakra…" Tayuya's eyes took a shine to them that Kimimaro had never seen before, almost like tears were there. "…But they're all gone now for the last time. It's just you and me now. You saved my life…Are you sure you want to be stuck with me for however long we have to stay here?"

"If I wasn't sure, you would have died with the others," Kimimaro muttered rather coldly, but that was normal for him in her opinion.

"Then I suppose that's the best I could ask for from you," Tayuya murmured quietly, smiling to herself.

Suddenly, her advanced sense of smell detected something lurking below them. She slid her flute into her hand, knowing that if she sensed this impending threat Kimimaro would, too. He removed a razor-sharp bone from his body in case combat was necessary. Whatever was down there did not smell like a human or an animal or even a vampire, and they had no idea what it could be capable of. There were not taking any chances so long as they were exiled to this area with a high possibility of being hunted.

"I know you're up there, vampires," a serpentine voice hissed from below. "The Count sent me to eliminate you, he did. He has been very preoccupied these past few days punishing that nuisance Kabuto and preparing for the attack of the Willow Witch or else he would have sent me sooner. I shall kill you by the Count's orders, but I enjoy a good fight. So why don't you make this worth my while, vampires?"

Tayuya exchanged glances with Kimimaro. So they had been hunted after all. Dracula had just been too occupied to think of them before. Neither of them had any idea what this creature was or what it could do in combat, but what other choice did they have? If they ran, this creature would just hunt them down again. Running would only be prolonging the inevitable. They would have to stand and fight.

The girl would distract with her flute's jutsu to give the boy time to move in for the kill. It was something they had done a million other times…with the only difference being that the other three wouldn't be here to help this time.

"Hurry up, vampires. I am an impatient demon, and I don't like heights, so don't make me have to come up after you," the serpent demon hissed.

Tayuya nodded once at Kimimaro before putting the flute to her lips. This might be their last battle, but they weren't just going to lie low and die like dogs. They were going to fight for their undead lives until they were unable to continue. Dracula could send as many of these guys after them as he wanted. And their fighting spirit would never die even after their bodies did.

A rough, unintelligible note rang into the air. The battle had begun.

* * *

Dracula found little fun in torturing Kabuto himself this evening as he stabbed a hot rod of metal into the young man's exposed chest, resulting in a pain-filled scream. He found little joy in many things since the night his brides had returned home reeking of wood and suffering from severe injuries.

He heard the story as his brides were reluctantly taken care of by the healer Kabuto. The Sisters had followed Team Hebi all the way to Konoha. They had attacked the traitors and the humans those traitors had encountered, but they had not expected for one of those humans to be a Slayer. When they found themselves backed into a corner, they released their ultimate attack. One mortal woman fell dead from the assault and another fell injured, but that was all. In a rage, the purple-haired Slayer attacked them, severing one arm, one neck, and permanently scarring one's face so that not even Kabuto could restore her. She and the Sister with one arm were sent away from Dracula's presence forever, as he did not have the heart to kill them. The other Sister's wound healed nicely; he would keep her around happily.

But she was not with him now; she was in the company of her discarded Sisters.

"The Willow Witch wants revenge, just like you wanted me taken out for the downfall of your former lord," Dracula muttered, roughly ripping out the rod before jabbing two more in. "I fear the witch more than I will ever fear those fools you sent to kill me while I was hunting. Two of them got away, but they shall be dead soon enough if that Sleneyn Demon has found them. And once I destroy the Slayers, you shall be of no further use to me. You shall join your pathetic lord in the fires of Hell forever."

Kabuto glared through his shattered glasses at the foreign man. _You shall never succeed.

* * *

_

One more day.

One more day and they would be going.

All the Slayers.

Her boyfriend.

Her squad member and friend.

Her friends.

The vampires.

They would all be going to take out Dracula and the Sisters, and stop Dark Willow from putting an end to the world.

And she couldn't do a thing to stop it.

Ino stood looking out her window at the cloudy sky, feeling powerless in this situation more than she had ever felt in any situation before. She hadn't been so weak until that fateful night when Tara had been killed. Ever since then, the world had spiraled out of control. First Willow had gone evil. Then she had tried to take Dawn's powers after killing so many others already. Then she sapped some of the Kyuubi's chakra, enough to complete her revenge with the kick of an unwanted gift. Now that gift made Willow want to destroy the world.

And so many close to her would be in the line of fire to stop that.

Would she ever see any of them again?

Kami, she prayed it would be so.

Her father had purposely kept her away from Rock Lee. She knew he didn't like her boyfriend for obvious reasons, but she couldn't believe her father could be so selfish. He wanted to be with her now after practically ignoring her for the past seven years of her life? Screw him. That was why she had locked herself in her room and used her magic to prevent him from finding a way in. If she couldn't be with Lee, then she would rather be alone in her misery.

_Goddess, please protect them all, _Ino thought somberly as she slid to the floor and let her tears fall again. _I can't stand to lose any more. Be the shield that I will be unable to be. Stand fast in my place and protect the innocent. I beg of thee, Goddess...for Tara's sake, put an end to this madness without any further bloodshed._

_That is all I ask. May this please come to pass.

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_A/N: The end of a short chapter for someone who hasn't updated in too long. I apologize for that once again. So what did you think? Please tell me. Thank you for reading._


	27. Chapter 27

_A/N: Not much to say except sorry for not updating quickly, so please just read on.

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Chapter 27

Gaara arrived with his siblings in the Leaf village with the rise of a new sun. Most of Konoha still lay in deep slumber, but there were others that had spent the whole night awake keeping the dangers of the night from harming the innocent. A few of those people met the Sand siblings at the gates, looking tired and a little beat up but otherwise okay.

"Hello, Temari. Kankuro. Gaara," Shikamaru greeted. "Glad you could make it."

"It took you long enough!" Naruto exclaimed, being rude and obnoxious as usual.

"Yeah, don't thank us for running three full days with barely any rest to get here in time to take out Count Dracula or anything," Temari muttered. She looked away from the rude boy to the other people gathered before her. Hinata and Neji were there, as well as Kakashi. These were to be their escort to Lady Tsunade. "So I guess it's time to get down to business, huh?"

"I'm afraid so. We don't have much time before Willow will be able to put her plans into action," Kakashi replied.

"Couldn't she have already carried out her revenge by now? I really don't see why we have to go after her…Dracula's just getting what's coming to him. Who are we to interfere with that?" Kankuro asked, clueless.

"There's more to it than just simple revenge. All will be revealed when you speak with the Hokage," Neji assured them. He glanced at the sky, seeming to see more than just the rising sun. Perhaps he was seeing the lessening of time. "Let's go now. We only have until nightfall until we leave for the Sound, and it would be best if you rested before our journey."

So they set off towards the Hokage's office where Tsunade and Shizune waited for them. Tsunade gave the Sand siblings a summary of what had happened since Willow had gone dark on them, leaving nothing out that might be considered important. Temari understood now why the Leaf ninja seemed so anxious. It wasn't just about avenging a lover's death anymore. It was about ending life, the entire world, and only they were the ones who could stop this from happening. Tsunade didn't want them to kill Willow because that witch was a good person hiding under an evil grieving mask. But Temari wasn't sure it was possible to comply with that. Willow possessed powers that could end the world. She would be more than a match for the lot, no matter how many were sent. If they had a chance to kill her, she knew that she would take it…and so would her siblings.

But she kept that thought to herself as to not upset their company, as they were all friends with the witch and she didn't want their attention on her.

When the business of the mission had been completely covered, the Sand siblings were escorted to a place where they could rest and regain their strength from their long journey. Traveling from Suna to Konoha in just three days was no easy feat, after all. Temari thanked them before closing the door. She waited until they were gone before looking at her brothers, who were both seated on the couch in the main room.

"…What do you guys make of all this?" she asked, removing her huge battle fan and placing it against the wall next to Gaara's gourd and Kankuro's Crow puppet.

"It sure is a perilous situation," Kankuro replied. "More so than I thought it would be. I just thought we were going to help take down that Count Dracula guy. I never thought we might have to fight a crazy, avenge-seeking, world-ending witch, too. She was supposed to be on our side. But now…she wants to end the world just cuz she feels the pain of every living thing? It's madness to even think about going after her now."

"But we have to. We gave our word to our ally that we would, and going against that word would be going against our village," Temari remarked. "The Hokage says we are not to kill this Willow, but if she's such a threat, why shouldn't we? I don't want to save her from herself only to have her become evil again one day and destroy Suna or something. And I'm not about to die if I get the chance to take her out and pass it over just cuz some old lady told me to. Do you see my point, Kankuro?"

Her brother nodded. "I wouldn't give my life for someone who wouldn't show the same courtesy. But it'll be hard for her to kill us, what with her affliction of feeling the pain of every living thing on Earth. Death must be one of the most painful things for her to feel. I don't think she has the strength to kill us without taking everything out in one shot."

"Still…If she does try, you're not going to just let her do it if you see an opening to take her out, are you?" Temari pressed.

"Of course not! I'd sooner turn my back on my village than let someone kill me!" Kankuro stated.

"…Why are you both so quick to turn on this woman?" Gaara asked quietly and without any emotion.

Kankuro and Temari looked at their younger brother in surprise. He was one who used to enjoy killing while they tried to avoid to-the-death conflicts for the most part. Now their roles seemed to have switched. 'Course, Gaara had been less of a killer ever since being beaten by Naruto that one time. But could he truly have changed so much because of that one battle and knowing another person like him, another jinchuuriki with a biju sealed within who wasn't a monster like Gaara?

"…What…What do you mean, Gaara?" Temari inquired, confused.

"This woman…You've never met her before. All you know of her is what Tsunade has told us. She was once a good person, a kindred spirit eager to help others and who could never hurt anyone unless they were foe to her friends and this village of Konoha. But she lost a loved one…Tara…and now she has lost sight of everything. She is a monster seeking vengeance on those who ended the life of her lover and, because of other circumstances, the end of the world. You only see her for what she is now and care nothing of the bonds she made before the death of Tara. You do not understand the demands Tsunade has asked… mostly the one to not kill Willow, because you only see her as a threat," Gaara explained, his cold blue eyes fixated on his sister. "I don't quite think the same way you do. I don't wish death upon Willow just because she has changed due to the death of her loved one. And I will not kill her even if the opportunity presents itself. She means something to Naruto and his friends. I will not take her or any hope they had of bringing her back from them. She is not a monster. _I_ am not a monster. You may see us both as such, but we are not."

Those were some pretty strong words coming from Gaara, a boy who had been viewed as a monster even before birth. He hadn't truly turned into a monster until his aunt had tried to kill him and revealed all the truths to him about how hated he truly was even by his late mother. He had just recently begun to change after the failed attack of the Sand and Sound on Konoha. That was due to Naruto, of course, for the boy had shown him that just because he had a demon didn't mean he had to be a monster.

Kankuro exchanged guilty glances with his sister. They should have known better than to talk like this in front of their little brother. Because of his past, he was sensitive when it came to talking about monsters. And he was right. They had no right to judge this woman they had never met and say she needed to die. She had as much right to live as they did.

Only she was planning on destroying the world.

"But Gaara…what if not killing her means the world must end?" Kankuro wanted to know.

The red-haired boy's gaze shifted to his brother. "Then so be it." He closed his eyes. "I don't care what you two do when we face off against Willow. But I will not raise my hand or sand against her, and if I am still able to move I will prevent your attacks from reaching her. So if you do move in for the kill, you'd better hope that I'm either incapacitated or dead…or you'll be disappointed how things will turn out."

Gaara then stood up and walked towards one of the bedrooms, closing the door behind him even though he was incapable of sleeping. Temari exchanged knowing glances with Kankuro.

Their little brother may not be willing to let Willow die…

But they sure as hell were, no matter what it cost them…

Only if there was no other way to save the world.

* * *

Squad 7, Squad 8, Shikamaru Nara, Rock Lee, Neji Hyuuga, Buffy Summers, Angel, Spike, Atem Mahado, and the Sand siblings met at the gates of Konoha with the setting of the sun. It would take a couple of days for the group to reach the Sound village, especially with two vampires in tow. Spike and Angel had their own forms of protection against the sun's deadly rays, but they would prefer to stick to the shade as much as possible. Everyone was as ready for this mission as they would ever be.

There was only this one chance to save the world.

There could be no mistakes.

Sakura looked into the sky, wondering where Cooro was at that moment. Earlier that day she had sent him off with a message to Itachi in order to inform him of what was happening and where she was going. He deserved to know. With all that he had done in his life for his brother and his village, it was the least she could do to warn him that the world might end in a few days' time. The raven would reach him in time with her coded message, and all would be known. Perhaps Itachi might even come to the Sound to help out…?

Hinata kept her gaze on the ground as the group began their journey, fidgeting nervously as was her bad habit. Her heart was racing and refused to slow no matter how much she begged it to do so. The world was in danger of ending. She and a lot of her friends were being sent to stop it. Everyone was depending on her to succeed. Her father and sister's face kept appearing in her mind, the looks they had worn when they watched her leave the house to go on this mission. Hiashi and Hanabi…Father and sister…Would she ever see them again? Hinata hoped so. But she was beyond worried. She didn't want to witness any more death. She especially didn't want to witness the deaths of Neji and Naruto…No, not Naruto! She'd rather die before he did than see him dead! And just thinking about him dying brought tears to her eyes, so she quickly pulled her hood over her head to hide her tears from everyone else.

Buffy resolved to stay strong but also face the truth. The odds were truly stacked against them. Willow was the most powerful witch to ever exist; there was no doubt about that. If there was truly a way to use magic to destroy the world, she would be the one to find it and put it into effect. All she and the others were…were ninja, Slayers, and vampires hoping to convince her to not end the world with their words and their fists. No one really wanted to kill Willow, especially not Buffy since they were best friends. Was it even possible to kill a witch that powerful? But what if there truly wasn't another way? Would any of them hesitate then?

So many worries and questions with no answers for the Slayers…

The other slayer, Atem, was only worried about Temari.

She hadn't met him until he arrived at the gates of Konoha, and somehow she found him attractive. Temari wouldn't leave him alone. She kept asking him questions about himself and flirting with him. Even her brothers found her behavior…a bit creepy. Atem thought she was pretty and all, but she came on _way_ too strong. All he wanted now was to get as far away from her as he possibly could. But that was impossible, what with them having to save the world and all. He made a vow that if they stopped to rest, he would not sleep for fear she might do something to him while he was unconscious.

He was lucky; they didn't stop to rest the whole night.

The group just kept traveling under the light of a crescent moon, the urgency of saving the world greater than the necessity of food and sleep. No one worried about becoming hungry or fatigued. Those feelings came and went without being noticed. All that mattered was reaching the Sound in time to stop Willow from making a huge mistake. They covered a lot of ground with their constant travel at ninja speed-jumping through the treetops and whatnot-and secured themselves that much closer to the Sound village before the sun began to show its face to the world again.

Kakashi and Kurenai granted the group a small break after dawn to eat and take a small nap in order to keep strength. Gaara, needing little of the former and none of the latter, chose to keep watch while his comrades rested. Hinata chose to skip the food and just go find a place to possibly sleep without being bothered.

But she was not left alone like she would have liked.

Her strange behavior had not gone unnoticed. Her teammates in Squad 8 had noticed, and so had Naruto. The three boys surrounded her while she still had her hood over her eyes. She didn't know they were there until the blonde spoke her name. She found herself looking up straight into his cerulean eyes with her face growing warm from the attention she was receiving.

"Hinata, are you okay?" he asked, concerned.

"…Y…Yes, Nar…Naruto. I…I'm fine," Hinata stammered her lie, fidgeting again.

"Don't ya lie right to our faces, Hinata-chan! We know you're lying! And you've been acting weird ever since we headed out! There's obviously something bothering you!" Kiba remarked knowingly. Akamaru barked in agreement from upon his head.

"Hinata," Shino said in his usual monotone. "They are right. You have not been yourself for some time now. You have resumed your habit of fidgeting and stammering…and you have your hood up. You never wear your hood up. And now you refuse to eat and wish to distance yourself from the rest of us. This does not follow your normal behavior. There is something plaguing your mind and making you act this way. Please tell us what it is."

The female Hyuuga glanced down at her hands. "…I…don't want to burden you…"

"Oh come now, Hinata! Your thoughts won't burden us any more than we are already burdened!" Kiba claimed.

"He has a point," Naruto agreed.

Hinata sighed and fidgeted some more. "It's…really, really stupid…"

"Your procrastination suggests otherwise," Shino muttered.

Akamaru leapt off of Kiba's head and onto Hinata's lap. She smiled grimly at the small white dog as he placed his paws against her chest and barked up at her, his small tail wagging behind him. Her hand found his fur, stroking it as one would silk. His body curled up in the crook of her other arm while she continued to stroke him; he was peaceful where he was now. Why couldn't she be even half as peaceful?

"…I'm afraid," Hinata finally admitted without looking up at the three boys around her. "…It's…natural to feel this way, I guess. We are going up against the end of the world, after all. It would be strange…if I wasn't afraid. I…I don't want to let the world down. I want to be able to see Father and Hanabi again. In life, I mean. Everything…Everything hangs on a thin thread, and we're the ones holding it there. If we fail…if we make a mistake…everything we know and love…will be lost. And I…I don't want that to happen…and I…I don't want to watch people die. Not anymore. I've seen the death of one person and that's more than enough for me. I…don't want to see any of you die…or my cousin Neji…but especially…I don't want to see you die, Naruto."

Kiba and Shino understood her last words. They knew of their comrade's feelings for the blonde boy and how devastating it would be for her if he fell in combat before her. True, she had also admitted that she didn't want them to fall, either, but watching them die would never be anything compared to watching her crush die.

Naruto, however, was still clueless as always.

"…Why…Why me? I'm just the same as everyone else here. The only ones that should truly matter to you are your squad mates and your cousin. Why would you especially not want to see me die?" Naruto wanted to know.

At this, Hinata laughed. "…You…You still can't see it…after all these years? After what happened in the Chuunin exams when you cheered me on…and I fought back despite the odds against Neji? You still can't see it?" She sighed. "Naruto…to me, you're not the same as everyone else here. You're special to me…You always have been. I…I've been afraid to admit this for so very long…but now that there's so much at stake, I'm not holding it back any longer. Naruto Uzumaki, I have feelings for you that go beyond friendship. I…I love you. I have for many years now even when the rest of the world looked down upon you. I love you, Naruto Uzumaki."

And all of them were shocked by Hinata's sudden confession of love.

"…Now do you understand, Naruto, why it would be so painful for me to lose you, to watch your final moments and see the light of life leave your eyes? Do you see why your death would be even more painful than Kiba and Shino's, or even Neji's? I have known none of them the way I know you…in the special chamber of my heart dedicated only to you. I've seen your pain, you've seen mine. I feel a bond that cannot be described. I understand that you may not feel the same way, but the truth needed to be told. At least now you understand why I cried and hid my face when I pictured you dead," Hinata murmured, feeling foolish and turning her face away from the boys.

"…Umm…This is awkward," Kiba remarked.

"We should leave them alone," Shino advised.

"You're right as always, Shino," Kiba said. "Come on, Akamaru."

The dog barked and obediently followed his master away from Hinata and Naruto. The blonde watched them go to their resting places before looking back at Hinata. She had hidden her expression within her hood once more, trying to escape reality if even for a little while. She had been brave enough to admit her feelings, feelings Naruto had no clue she had for him. Was she now embarrassed and was that the reason she hid?

Things started to make sense now. He should have seen this long ago…or at least during the Chuunin exams. Her feelings were the reason she was willing to let him cheat off her test. Her feelings were the reason she had offered him that healing tonic after his fight with Kiba. Her feelings were the reason she had held onto his words and fought Neji despite her fears and disadvantages. Her feelings were the reason why she had shielded him when the Sisters had attacked, not caring about what injuries might be inflicted onto her own body so long as he was fine. He was her everything without knowing it…

And sadly, he didn't feel the same way…

Not yet, anyway.

"Hinata-chan," he whispered, leaning in so he could see her face. "…Thank you for loving me for so long…I'm just sorry I cannot return your feelings. Can we still be friends?"

"…Of course, Naruto-kun," Hinata murmured.

With his infamous grin, Naruto pulled her into a tight embrace. She stiffened at first, feeling her face grow warm again, but she was only human. She wrapped her arms around him to return the gesture, glad to feel his warmth against her even if it was only in a friendly manner.

_Thank you, Naruto,_ she thought.

* * *

It had taken several hours, but the Sleneyn Demon was now dead with the rising of the sun. Tayuya and Kimimaro had managed to kill it with major effort on their part. The serpentine creature had been a worthy adversary with too many abilities to list. But it was defeated by a combination of Tayuya's flute, Kimimaro's bones, strategy, and a whole lot of luck. It now lay in several pieces on the ground where the battle had taken place, no longer a threat to anyone.

Tayuya was kneeling on the ground, catching the breath she didn't have to and clutching her bleeding shoulder with the hand that wasn't holding her flute. It was true that the Sleneyn Demon was dead, but not without injuring its foes in the process. The girl bore several cuts from their battle-the worst being on her shoulder-as well as bruises. They should have healed by then; the reason for them not being so already was because she had only hunted once in the past few days and needed more blood. Her thirst for blood was renewing itself so quickly…It must have been because she was still within her first year of being a vampire and newborns were always so thirsty.

Kimimaro was no better off than his companion. If anything, he was worse. The demon's attacks had done some severe damage to his bone-weapons, and it had also managed to sink its teeth into his throat once when he had been too slow to stop the strike. That attack had left him covered in his own blood. He could hardly move without experiencing extreme pain. So he just lay where he was and waited for his injuries to heal…if even just a little.

The pink-orange-haired girl forced herself to stand, glancing over at her injured companion. They both needed blood in order to restore themselves for the next fight; there was no way that this would be it. Once Dracula found out this demon had failed to kill them, he would send others to take them out. They would need their full strength for those attacks. And since she was the only one in near-working order, she would have to supply the blood.

"…I'm going to hunt real quick," Tayuya informed him, wincing as she placed her flute back inside her sleeve with her injured arm. "I'll be right back."

She disappeared before he could argue and reappeared just as quick with two deer and a couple of rabbits on her person. The larger of the deer was lain down next to his mouth so he could drink its blood without straining. It was strange for her to think of him before herself; he recalled so many instances in the past where she hadn't been so generous. But that was back when the Sound Five was still whole with Orochimaru as their leader. Everything was different now.

The deer's blood allowed him to heal and relieved most of the pain. Kimimaro managed to sit up now without experiencing that stabbing that made him collapse. Tayuya smiled and handed him half of the rabbits she had caught so he could regain the rest of his strength. Another strange anomaly in his life. Before recovering from tough battles required time and rest, or if one was lucky a medic nin could take care of the brunt of one's injuries. But neither was necessary now. All he and Tayuya needed was some blood and they would be fine.

"…Kimimaro," Tayuya said when they were sated. "We can't stay here."

His green eyes glanced at her without revealing his emotions. "Why do you say that?"

"Because it's the truth. I mean, look at us! We're practically in rags and we're living like animals! I was born a human, fooled into being reborn as a monster's slave, and the forced into being reborn again as a leech living off the blood of others!" Tayuya exclaimed. "We sleep in a cave. We hunt animals that are weaker than we are. We are hunted by the followers of one stronger than we are. Our only thoughts nowadays are about survival. We're no better than any other creature stuck in these woods. I was not meant to live like this, Kimimaro, and neither were you. We were meant to live among people and not have to look for our next meal like beasts." Tayuya sighed and closed her eyes. "…We have to go to a village."

Kimimaro's expression did not change as his mind raised red flags to her words. "…We would just be killed, anyway. We are too well-known as the former servants of the late Orochimaru. And no village would accept vampires."

"There could be a small village somewhere near here that's different, one that will not mind us at all," Tayuya insisted. "I know of at least one…It was my home before that bastard Orochimaru lured me away. My mother and father and sisters should still be there. If we go there, we might be accepted and might be able to start our lives over."

"Your family might be willing to allow their daughter back home despite her crimes… and they might be willing to accept me as well. But if they discover that we are vampires, there is no chance," Kimimaro remarked.

Tayuya smiled. "They'll never know."

At this, Kimimaro raised an eyebrow. "How is that?"

"There's a witch just outside of my village. I knew her as a child and saw some of what she was capable of. Perhaps if we go to see her first, she can find a way to change us back or make it so we don't exhibit all the signs of vampirism. If anyone can do it, she can," Tayuya stated. "Well, it's at least worth a try. It's better than just sitting around here waiting to fight for our lives again."

Kimimaro thought it over for a moment then nodded. "All right."

"Follow me to a possibly better future, Kimimaro-san," Tayuya crooned as she began to walk away towards the place she had once called home.

* * *

_A/N: The end of a short, pathetic excuse of an update after keeping you waiting for so long. Well, it's better than nothing. What did you think? Please tell me. Thank you for reading._


	28. Chapter 28

_A/N: Don't adjust your computer screens. I really am updating now, faster than I have been. So without further delay, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

_

Chapter 28

Tayuya and Kimimaro reached the outskirts of her old village just before nightfall. A good thing, indeed, for the old witch's hut sat in a place that was easily illuminated by sunlight and to reach it in the daytime would have resulted in them becoming crispy vampires. Smoke escaping from the window gave proof that the witch was still alive after all of this time. Tayuya did not hesitate to walk up to the door and knock. Kimimaro trailed behind, feeling out of place all of a sudden. He was fine when it was just him and Tayuya, but now there was already too many people getting involved.

The door creaked open, but no one stood there to prove who had made it do so. Tayuya gestured for Kimimaro to follow her inside. The hut was small and only contained a single room-there was an outhouse outside, but that was it. Whoever lived here was truly one with nature. Most of what the witch had in her home were herbs and potions and other things related to her practice. In the corner was a mat with a pillow, and the light-haired teen assumed that was where the witch slept. The smoke originated from the fireplace at the very back of the hut that had a black cauldron cooking over it, almost typical to see in the home of a witch. Seeing that reminded the teen of all the old myths about witches he had heard as a kid.

"Anzu! Are you home?" Tayuya called even though it seemed they were the only ones in the hut. "It's me, Tayuya! I've come to ask a favor of you!"

No answer came, but the door slammed shut seemingly on its own. An unnatural wind breezed past the two vampires, playing with the smoke and fire and whipping hair around their faces. The smoke seemed to take its own shape after a few moments-it even appeared to be stepping towards them. The gray of the smoke faded into colors and took the appearance of an elder woman. She had long silver hair that reached the small of her back and warm blue eyes that contained a lifetime of knowledge. Her clothing was a simple brown robe with boots of the same coloring, and she carried a gnarled wooden cane in her wrinkled hand. Normally old people's skin looked like leather, but the years had been surprisingly kind to this woman. Her face looked like that of a woman in her forties, though she was clearly much older than that.

Tayuya smiled upon the woman's appearance and didn't hesitate to embrace her in her arms. The woman returned her gesture without pause, though he gaze remained fixed on Kimimaro.

"It is good to see you again, Anzu-sama," Tayuya said.

"As it is good to see you again after all these years," Anzu replied. "I have missed your company, dearest Tayuya. Your sisters and your little brother are not as interested in nature as you ever were. No one in the village is. I fear all of my knowledge will be lost to this world when I pass."

The orange-haired ninja raised an eyebrow. "Little brother?"

Anzu nodded. "Your mother gave birth to her seventh child about a year after you were lured away by that snake Orochimaru. Let's see…I believe he is seven or eight years old now. He looks a lot like you in the face. Plays the flute just like you used to, too. I thought he might be interested in the same things you were, but he only cares about his ninja training. Bah! There are more than enough ninja in the world as it is."

"Wow…I hope I get the chance to meet him…," Tayuya whispered.

"Who's your friend?" Anzu asked.

"Oh, right. Anzu-sama, this is Kimimaro," Tayuya introduced.

The old witch studied him for a moment, and he did the same thing without blinking. He had no idea what this woman knew of him and the Sound village, but she seemed comfortable enough with Tayuya. He had no idea if she would accept him, but he had no doubt that Anzu would do anything to help the girl. It was a risk he was willing to take. Tayuya's safety mattered much more than his did.

"…So what's that favor you came to me for?" Anzu wanted to know, turning her gaze back to Tayuya without giving anything away about her feelings towards Kimimaro. "Is it new clothes since you and that boy are practically in rags? Or some of my famous cooking since you two look as if you haven't eaten in days? Or how about a bath since you look horrible and smell like dead animals?"

Tayuya smiled. "All of those would be nice, but none of those are really the reason we came here. I'm sure you know of what's been going on in Oto no Kuni, or know at least something about what's happened. Count Dracula and his brides came to Orochimaru and convinced him to turn to vampirism. He and all his followers, including us, were subjected to this transformation. Hardly anyone in the village escaped this fate or did not become a newborn's meal. Then that fool Orochimaru slipped up and got himself killed in Konoha. Dracula seized control, using Kabuto as his pawn to manipulate us. The Sound Five, comprised of us and three other people, confronted Dracula while he was hunting and planned on taking him out. We failed. We turned him to dust often enough, but somehow he always came back. The other three people with us were killed permanently…I would be dead too if it wasn't for Kimimaro. We were in hiding for some time while I recovered from my injuries. And then Dracula sent a serpentine demon after us and we had to fight it…and we barely managed to beat him. So I decided we needed somewhere safe to go, somewhere where we would be accepted. And now here we are."

Anzu listened to Tayuya's story without word or expression. "…You thought you'd be safe here because your family is here. As long as no one discovers what you are, it would be possible that your family would take back their daughter and allow her friend into their home. But as vampires, there are certain things about you that would not go unnoticed no matter how well you try to hide them."

"We know that," Kimimaro muttered.

"That's why we came here first," Tayuya remarked. "You're a powerful witch, Anzu-sama. You know things about the world no one else knows, and you've performed miracles that no one else can perform. I believe in your abilities. If anyone can help us with our dilemma, it's you. Please, is there anything you can do to take away our curse? Or at least eliminate some of the effects of being a vampire?"

Anzu sighed. "I'm not sure. Vampires are not a part of the natural world. They were created by demons to destroy. They are the walking dead, living off the blood of the living and unable to walk in the light of day. They go against the natural law of life and death. As such, you and Kimimaro should be rotting six feet under and not standing here before me. It would be next to impossible to bring the walking dead back to life." Her blue eyes shifted back to Tayuya's face. "But I like you, and I see how much Kimimaro cares about you and I can't help but like him, too. I can't promise anything, mind. But I will try my hardest to help you. No one should be dead at so young an age. Since that fool Orochimaru screwed up your lives, I'll do my best to fix 'em again."

The joy Tayuya's face reflected then could not be expressed with words as she hugged the old woman tightly. "Thank you so much, Anzu-sama! You're the best!"

"And you're making it hard to breath with your inhuman strength," Anzu gasped. Tayuya immediately loosened her grip. The old woman smiled sweetly from her to Kimimaro, seemingly pleased with what she saw and what she planned on doing. "You two seem like good people. Despite what you have done in your past, I think you deserve a second chance at a decent life. Now, I'm going to look through my scrolls for anything that might help. You kiddos need to get cleaned up so you don't stink up my home. There's clean linen in that chest and a hot spring not that far from here. Get yourselves freshened and I'll have something to try by the time you return."

Kimimaro's eyes widened. _She wants us to go to the hot spring...together?_

Tayuya raised an eyebrow. "You want us to go to the hot spring together? But Anzu-sama, we're teens of opposite genders. Aren't you worried about that?"

Anzu chuckled. "Not at all! After all, you two were once hardened killers! You shouldn't be too embarrassed about being nude in a hot spring at the same time! It's not gonna kill you or anything! Besides, it would save more time than you both going separately. Time is something that we can't afford to waste! So no more debate! You're both going and that's that!"

There was no getting around it; they'd have to go together.

Oh, how unnerving this would truly be…

* * *

Dracula sat in the chair Orochimaru had been fond of in the main room of the castle with his only pretty bride perched comfortably on his lap. Her long black hair contrasted nicely with her pale skin and white revealing gown, making her a vision of beauty in his eyes. There was no longer any sign of her almost having been decapitated by the purple-haired Slayer as Kabuto had been useful and made that wound disappear completely. Her green eyes were still full of sadness for the same could not be said for her fellow Sisters. A single tear ran down her face as she thought of them once again.

"Do not cry, my dear Celeste," Dracula said, gingerly reaching up to wipe that tear away. "You will not be alone for much longer. Two new Sisters shall join you soon. They will be just as strong as the others used to be."

"…But…But I've known Annabeth and Tessa for so long. We've shared everything. We were like blood-sisters. A bond that strong…can never be replaced," Celeste murmured without looking at her mate. "…Why did you have them destroyed? Why couldn't you have let them continue their undead lives somewhere else…or accept them the way they were? They were not ugly…only scarred…"

"And those scars rendered them of no further use to me. A one-armed vampire is not very effective in battle and our victims would run in fear of a vampire with a mutilated face. I loved them both dearly, Celeste, but keeping them around would have only hindered me in the end," Dracula told her.

"…You could have just…let them go," Celeste whispered.

Dracula shook his head. "And they would have been persecuted for their flaws or would have been easy prey for the Slayers. I spared them from humiliation. They died honorable deaths and for that you should be happy."

Celeste stood and looked at him bitterly. "There is no honor…in being killed by a man you loved enough to join in eternal life…There is only pain and betrayal. Say what you will about them, my lord. Try to rectify their deaths all you want. You and I know…that you cast them aside when something ruined their beauty and you could no longer stand the sight of them. You would have done the same to me…if I had been brutally scarred by the purple-haired Slayer. And I wish she had! Then I wouldn't be left in my loneliness as the only Sister left in existence!"

"My dearest Celeste, you're just saying these things because you're upset," Dracula insisted, reaching out to caress her arm only to have it ripped from his grasp.

"That is what you believe, but I know the truth! I see it all now that you've taken Annabeth and Tessa from me! You cared nothing for us or any of your other creations! The Sisters were just for your daytime enjoyment! All you've really cared about for these past six centuries is yourself! You're a monster, my lord! A monster! That's why you have extended your reach into these lands and turned an entire nation into our kind only to have their leader killed! That's why you manipulate these people! That's why you sent us after Team Hebi when they went for freedom from your tyranny! You want the world in your fangs but the world does not want you! You're the reason my Sisters were injured to the point that you could not stand them any longer! You wanted them and me dead all along, admit it!" Celeste snapped.

"Celeste, you're being a very naughty girl with all these accusations. Don't make me have to discipline you," Dracula warned in a low growl.

"Go ahead! Discipline me! Kill me while you're at it!" Celeste countered.

She turned her back on Dracula and strode towards the door. "I'm leaving you and I'm never returning! Find yourself three new brides that are foolish enough to fall for your charm! I'm breaking free of you now!"

"Celeste, look out!" Kabuto shouted, making her whip her head around.

When she had turned around, Dracula had withdrawn a long wooden stake. He had intended to end her with that. She knew it. He had thrown it in her direction…and would have killed her if Kabuto hadn't emerged from his hiding spot to warn her. She quickly dodged the wooden shaft, catching the end of it in mid-backbend. Celeste then fixated her demonic gaze on Dracula, who was quickly pulling out more of the wood weapons without any sense of hesitation now. Kabuto showed no hesitation in coming to Celeste's aid. There was once a time when he probably would have…back when she was still one of Dracula's loyal brides torturing him, but that time had long since passed.

"…So…This is how it is going to end," Celeste mused as she swirled the staff-like stake around her arm. "Perhaps the Willow Witch will not have anyone left to seek revenge on after all. You killed Annabeth and Tessa. You will either kill me or I'll kill you…or we both will die here."

Dracula smirked and stood up from Orochimaru's former throne. "I won't stay dead. You know that, my dear. You've seen me killed several times, and yet here I stand."

"Yes, my lord, but unlike those fools that have killed you I know why it is that you come back. I won't make their mistakes. I won't stake you in the heart. I will tear you to pieces and burn you so that you can't come back ever again," Celeste hissed.

Dracula's eyes narrowed. "Not if I end you first!"

He tossed the stakes at her all at once, being precise and thinking of where she would move to dodge them. Celeste spun her weapon around like a shield to fling them all back at her former lord and keep the deadly things away from her vital spot. They projected back towards Dracula without losing speed, forcing him to dodge them himself. He pulled out another long stake and leapt into the air only to come down at Celeste. She raised the bar to block his attack. He went to kick her in the torso, but she beat him to the punch by swiftly moving her leg to block his foot. She shoved him off of her with little resistance and prepared for his next lunge. He landed gracefully a few feet from her.

Then out of nowhere, the forgotten Kabuto charged towards him, blue chakra glowing on his hands. He lunged for Dracula, who tried to avoid him, and managed to touch his chest before the European vampire could move out of reach. Dracula felt a sharp pain in that area that left him on his knees.

Celeste took advantage of this moment to launch her own attack. She leapt, holding her stake with the point down, planning on stabbing him through the neck into the floor so he'd be immobile and she could tear him to pieces. Dracula lifted his head, preventing himself from being impaled to the ground. He moved just enough to avoid being stabbed in the throat, but her weapon still got him through the shoulder. His blood splattered everywhere as the stake drove through skin, muscle, and cartilage from one side of his body to the other.

The force behind her attack forced him back against a wall. The stake burrowed itself into that same wall-there was no way he could remove himself from that spot except by removing his arm. He swung his long stake at Celeste's chest, but she easily caught it in her hand and tore it from his. His shoulders soon matched and he was crying in agony from the pain. Celeste smirked down at him, not caring that she was covered in his blood or that she had defeated her former lord with the help of a foreigner. All that mattered was that she had won.

"You're dead," she growled and raised her hand to begin dismantling him.

Suddenly there were sounds outside in the halls, mimicking the sounds of the battle that had just transpired here. Celeste turned her gaze towards the door, concerned only a little about what that noise could mean. Kabuto's expression seemed to suggest that he knew oh too well what it meant.

"The Sound has become divided. Some ninja have become loyal to this bastard while the rest are loyal to me," Kabuto explained, his fists clenched in anger. "It was only a matter of time until they started fighting. Perhaps our fight with Dracula set this off, gave them a reason to trade blows. But once a few of his followers manage to make their way in here, we'll be in trouble." He turned to Celeste. "We've got to get out of here now or we might not have the chance to escape at all."

Celeste looked at Dracula again. "But…I…"

"I understand that you want to make him pay for killing your Sisters and being a selfish jerk, but there's no time for that. Willow will make him suffer when she gets here, more so than we ever could," Kabuto told her. "Now there's a trap door we can use behind Orochimaru's chair. Don't ask why it's there; even I'm not sure why. But it's the only way we can get out of here in one piece. We'll be long gone before they even find it."

"Not if I tell them where the door is," Dracula remarked.

"You won't be telling anyone anything if you can't speak or see," Kabuto stated.

Before anyone could blink, the medic nin grabbed Dracula's throat with one hand and stabbed his eyes with the other. The European vampire screamed a bone-chilling until his vocal cords were severed, leaving him without a voice. He was also blind, evident enough by the blood running down from his closed eyes. The blue chakra faded from Kabuto's hands after this was completed. He grabbed Celeste's hand and pulled her towards the secret trapdoor.

They were gone only moments before the door was pounded in and Dracula's new followers swarmed in to aid their lord…a little too late on their part.

* * *

Tayuya had somehow managed to make it to the hot spring before Kimimaro, and therefore was already submerged when he arrived. The body of warm water was no larger than a pond and the surrounding foliage offered little coverage, making an awkward situation even more awkward. He placed himself as far away from the girl as he possibly could for both of their sakes. She watched him-he was still dressed in his 'rags' at the time-with a light tint of pink appearing on her face. Kimimaro didn't believe that was from the hot water, either. He could only imagine what his face looked like just then.

"Let me know when you're in the water so I can open my eyes again," Tayuya muttered, closing her brown eyes for his sake so she wouldn't see anything.

At least someone minded their situation some…unlike that old hag Anzu.

He stripped down and slipped into the water in practically no time, planning on making this a quick thing so he and Tayuya would not have to suffer longer than necessary. Unfortunately, he had chosen to sit in a hot spot, immediately regretting that decision. The hiss that managed to escape him did not go unnoticed by Tayuya. Little had ever escaped her before, and since she had become a vampire even less did.

"Sounds like sitting over there will get your ass burned off," she teased, smiling lightly with her eyes still closed. "It's not that hot closer to this end. Why don't you move a little down here so you don't burn yourself to death?"

It was an innocent suggestion, but it just turned this really awkward situation into a very, very awkward situation in Kimimaro's head. He felt like saying no; his body would not let that happen. So with more reluctance than ever, he made his way down to cooler water. He stopped when he was a good ten feet from Tayuya both ways-across and to the side. The water kept their bodies obscured from view. They would be safe from complete embarrassment now without any of them having to be in scolding water.

"You can open your eyes now," Kimimaro said unemotionally.

Tayuya did just that. "Someone forgot his clean clothes over near the toasty end. Guess that means we'll have to do this all over again…Ah well. I don't mind. Well, I do mind enough to do this!"

Without any warning whatsoever, she splashed the water at Kimimaro's face. This was a very childish act, especially for someone like Tayuya. He rolled his eyes, but otherwise ignored it. Perhaps coming back to her home village had brought the inner child out of her. It was the most logical explanation. It would also explain why the water smelled of sweet-scented flowers. She must have poured some sort of soap into the hot spring.

The orange-haired girl went under the water for a few seconds to douse her hair before surfacing again. Her long hair wasn't held back by bandages-it hadn't been ever since their battle with Dracula, but Kimimaro hadn't truly noticed until now. It stuck to her face and shoulders, framing her beautifully. She reached back into the sleeve of her soiled tunic and produced a comb, which she then proceeded to use to brush through her locks. Kimimaro forced himself to look away from her before she could catch him staring and let his own head go under water for a few seconds. He shook some of the water from his head upon resurfacing out of old habit more than anything.

"…I used to come here all the time when I was still a kid," Tayuya recalled, looking up at the starry sky as she continued to comb her hair. "Anzu-sama is like my grandmother and we've got a bond that can't be matched by any other. Mother and Father…hehe…They used to be a little jealous whenever I'd run off to see her instead of hanging around the house to be with them. Anzu-sama taught me a lot of things. About nature, the world, magic…but mostly about life and the consequences of choosing one thing over another …when good and evil cannot be so easily distinguished." She sighed and set her comb on the grass behind her, exposing her back to Kimimaro. "I should have listened to her.

"She knew when Orochimaru came to me. Anzu-sama always seemed to know when something happened in my life. She tried to convince me not to go to him, that I could grow strong here. But…I wasn't so sure. Everyone else my age was already ninja or well on their way to becoming one while I was still playing my flute. For me…a possibility of becoming strong was not enough. Orochimaru's promise of power seemed more like a guarantee to me then. So I took it…and the most painful part wasn't leaving my family behind. It was letting Anzu-sama down.

"Your story is different than mine. You were the only one of your clan to survive when the war-loving clan you come from attacked the Mist village. You had no other option, and I'm sure Orochimaru seemed very promising to you then. In that way, I…I envy you. You had no one to let down by your decision to go to the Sound village. I had everyone to let down. I swore the day I left that I would never think about those I'd left behind, but that was a foolish wish. I've thought about them often, especially Anzu…and I hated myself for betraying their trust. So what if I became a powerful ninja? So what if I could take down a Hokage? So what if all of Japan feared me? It does little good to be the best if you have no one to share your glory with. And by the time I realized that, it was too late to escape Orochimaru's grasp. I was in too deep just like every other member of the Sound Five."

Tayuya rested her head on the ground, still keeping her back to Kimimaro. "You may not have known this, Kimimaro, but…I was never happy when we were in the Sound working for Orochimaru. That's probably why I became the way I am…always cussing and badmouthing others and having a short fuse. Even when I might have seemed content with my life, I was far from it. And things only got worse when we became the undead. Everything started to spiral out of control and there was nothing I could do to stop it. All I could do in the end was search for a way out. I guess…I guess that's why I suggested to the others that we take Dracula out while he was hunting and the Sisters were gone. It's my fault we went after him in the first place. If I hadn't been in such a hurry to die, we would all still be alive in the Sound without any problem. Kidomaru, Jirobo, Sakon and Ukon wouldn't have died if it wasn't for me. We wouldn't be on the run if it wasn't for me. I'm sorry…for making you have to run like this. And I don't deserve forgiveness."

She admitted to being the catalyst to their whole situation, but Kimimaro did not place any of the blame upon Tayuya's shoulders. Every member of the Sound Five had their stories with Orochimaru being the one thing that connected them with his promise of power. They had all become monsters with their strings being pulled by that snake, and if any of them had been happy with that life it would have been surprising. Becoming the undead and losing their master only to receive a new foreign one didn't help matters, either. And they all had wanted to take out Dracula so they could rule themselves instead of someone else making their decisions for a change. It wasn't Tayuya's fault they had all been fools in a hurry to rid themselves of a nuisance vampire. Everyone was responsible for their own actions; no blame could ever be put on someone else.

The girl didn't move or make a sound, but somehow Kimimaro knew she was crying. He didn't understand it himself. Her voice had not revealed too much of her sadness. Her body was not trembling. She was not sobbing. And yet somehow he knew she was crying and keeping it concealed from him because she had been trained to see tears as a weakness. They all had as shinobi. Shinobi were conditioned to cast away their emotions because emotions were just a hindrance. Kimimaro had been conditioned long ago, which was why he was so cold. But even he still felt things and could understand Tayuya's tears without seeing her as weak.

He did something completely out of character then. Kimimaro moved across the hot spring to the place where Tayuya was still resting her head upon the grass while still submerged in the water. She didn't move; he didn't expect her to. He placed a hand on her shoulder and felt her stiffen out of shock. Never before had he touched her like this. No wonder she was surprised.

"We all chose to go after him of our own accord. Do not blame yourself for the deaths of the others or for our situation," Kimimaro told her in a soft voice that was so unlike him. "It was all fated to happen. For all of this you must blame fate, not yourself. And even then I wouldn't hate fate because it has left me with one person I can stand…and in your case it brought you back to where you belong. Do not be upset, Tayuya. You've been dealt many bad hands in your life, but at last you have a chance to win this round. The past is gone. Look forward to your future instead and all the things that shall come to pass."

Tayuya turned her head around; her torso was partially out of the water but her hair fell conveniently over a couple of things she didn't want him to see. Stray tears were still falling from her dark watery eyes, but his words seemed to have had some sort of effect on her. Without warning she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a very awkward hug. Their bodies were practically pressed up against each other.

"…Thank you, Kimimaro-kun," she murmured. "I'm glad I'm stuck with you."

"…You're…welcome…," Kimimaro muttered, flustered in the face from their position.

If what he had done just moments ago seemed out of character, what Tayuya did now was also. She pulled her face back just enough so he could see it before leaning forward and brushing her lips up against his. Kimimaro was completely taken aback by her actions. Was this really Tayuya? All his doubts about certain feelings buried deep within his frozen heart melted away into a forgotten memory, but refused to give way to his emotions. He found himself pushing her away and putting some distance between them. This time it was his back turned to her.

"…Kimimaro?" Tayuya was confused, and he could hear her moving through the water towards him.

He did not reply.

"Look, I'm sorry if I came on strong. I just…I just thought that you…" She trailed off.

Kimimaro closed his eyes, hating himself just then for upsetting Tayuya and for letting his cold heart make his decisions. The girl had shown she was interested in him; hell, she had even been so bold as to kiss him. But what had he done? Shoved her away like a child. A child! He was nearly an adult and still he couldn't face what was right in front of him like the man he was supposed to be. Why was he such a cold-hearted fool?

"I didn't mean to…offend you," Tayuya apologized, and he sensed that she was standing directly behind him. "…Will you…Will you please just look at me, Kimimaro?"

He had heard his name so many times on her lips when she had been unconscious because of Dracula, and it had always made him think that maybe she had been dreaming about him. Those thoughts were always followed by so-called rational logic that told him killers like him and her could never show emotions or be together. But that logic had been proven wrong tonight. Tayuya admitted she loved him though she hadn't said those words. If she didn't love him, then why the hell would she hug him in the hot spring where both of them had not a scrap of clothing between them? His name sounded even sweeter now…Why couldn't he answer her plea?

His hands clenched into fists and he gritted his teeth. Why did he not have the courage to face his emotions when he could fearlessly take on an army of shinobi? In comparison to that, the ideal of emotions seemed petty, and yet it was not so in his heart. Though it no longer beat, it caused him so much grief. And it was about to make him hurt a girl that did not deserve to be hurt anymore.

_Damn me, _he thought bitterly, his head lowered so that if his eyes were open he'd be looking down at the surface of the hot spring.

He felt hands on his face and immediately his eyes flashed open. Tayuya had moved around him when he wasn't aware. Her hands were gentle as the touched his face to wipe away tears he hadn't even realized he had been shedding in his anger. One of her hands went up to stroke his hair affectionately in what was supposed to be a comforting manner. And it was comforting in a strange kind of way. Her dark eyes locked with his green ones, never breaking away except when she blinked.

Then she ceased motion altogether and let her arm hand down at her sides, leaving only her hand cradling his face. When she began to pull that away, too, Kimimaro prevented that from happening by grabbing it. Her expression never changed, and yet by just looking into her eyes he could tell that she knew. She knew without him having to say it. He couldn't help himself; he gave into his human side and pulled her into a passionate kiss despite their current location and situation.

It could have gone on forever since vampires didn't need to breathe.

But they didn't have forever.

They were expected elsewhere.

Tayuya pulled away reluctantly and smiled at Kimimaro.

"Close your eyes…and I'll meet you at Anzu's place," she whispered. "Perhaps she can find a way to cure us that will allow for us to walk in the light of day and…sneak off in the dark of the night for our own reasons."

* * *

Celeste found herself in an underground cave she had never known existed that was many miles away from Orochimaru's castle. Kabuto had led her here through a series of tunnels, and they weren't alone. Most of the vampires loyal to him had made their escape through other trapdoors, joining them in fleeing the castle from those that were loyal to Dracula now. Even here they could not stay for too long. Though their escape route was well-hidden and Dracula had been stopped from revealing it, the vampires wouldn't have that much trouble in hunting them down. They would have to keep moving underground until Willow came to take out the foreign vamp.

The last Sister sat alone in a corner of this cave, glancing around at those that had once despised her and her Sisters but were now indifferent about her presence. They passed around kegs of blood to one another in order to replenish strength and talked like old friends, which was what they were in most cases. Celeste could not share their companionship. Her only living friends had met their end hours earlier, and now that she had betrayed her lord, she was completely alone.

She didn't take a sip from the keg that was passed to her by a female Sound vampire; she just gave it to the next vamp that seemed to need it more than her before returning to her corner. Kabuto was busy healing his comrades, fixing what blood would take too long to repair so they could keep moving. Other medic nin followed his example, and no one questioned his authority. He was not cruel like Dracula and not manipulative like that Orochimaru jerk had been. He was kind and generous and smart, the kind of leader these people needed now that so much seemed to be at stake. These people were very lucky to have him.

"Celeste-chan," a girl Sound vampire said, coming over to her side with a bundle of clothes tucked under her arm. "Kabuto-sama told me to give you these since your dress was soiled in your battle against Dracula."

The Sister took the offered clothes and examined them. A sleeveless black jacket, black tube top with a mesh shirt, black pants, and black sandals were what she had been offered. She had never worn anything like this before. Dresses had been all she had ever known in life and death. But she had to make do for now. She murmured her thanks to the girl before turning around. Changing in front of people was not preferable, but she could do so without being too embarrassed. And with her speed there was no reason to blush.

Her bloody white gown was burned by the same girl to eliminate any trace of their being there. She smiled warmly at Celeste, who did not understand the teen's kindness, before going to attend to other vampires. Celeste just shook off her lack of understanding. It was better not to think of these things. She just sat in her corner, awaiting the time when they would continue their underground march.

"You need to drink," Kabuto remarked, at her side with a couple packages of blood in his hand. He showed no evidence of his tortures, but that was only due to his quick healing that beat out the vampiric speed-healing with ease. Celeste knew he had been hurt a lot since Dracula's arrival in the Sound village…and she also knew that most of that hurt had been dealt by her hand under that jerk's order. So why did Kabuto save her from certain death when she had hurt him so many times?

"…I'm not thirsty or injured," Celeste muttered without looking up at him.

"Your lack of injury is due in part to my interfering in your confrontation with Dracula. You're lucky you're not dust right now," Kabuto stated as he sat down beside her. "But with all the energy you've expended thus far, you won't last too long without drinking something. Take this. Medic's orders."

Celeste didn't take the package of blood form his extended hand. "…I'm not as young as you are. I can last weeks without feeding. You…You don't have to worry about me, Kabuto. I can take care of myself. Your concerns should lie with your people."

"But you are a part of my people," Kabuto claimed.

"No I'm not. I'm just Dracula's bitch. All I'm good for is following a man's orders without questioning them, and even then I'm not that reliable." Celeste gave a wan smile at that. "Dracula found that out the hard way, didn't he?" She sighed and finally let her gaze wander over to the silver-haired vampire. "…Why did you help me? After all my Sisters and I have done to you…You should want me dead."

"I don't blame you or your Sisters for all that. It's in the past, and Dracula had you under his spell. You had no real control over what you were doing. And what he did to Annabeth and Tessa just because they were flawed in appearance was utterly ridiculous. You saw that and broke free of his power to fight back. I saw that you were free. That is why I saved you," Kabuto told her.

"…He was willing to kill us…to prevent us from being free…He really is a selfish monster," Celeste mumbled morosely.

Kabuto placed a gentle hand on her wrist. "But not every man is that way."

"Are…Are you courting me?" Celeste asked, blinking stupidly at his sudden gesture.

"No…Not unless you want me to be," Kabuto said hurriedly, his face flustering.

Celeste sighed. "Even after all that's happened in our past, you have feelings for me. You are so strange. But that's what makes you special, Kabuto, at least to me. The only man I've ever truly known has been that bastard back there, and you're the exact opposite of him for the most part. I like that about you."

"Thanks."

Her hand grasped his as her blue eyes closed to conceal her hidden sadness that stemmed from pain buried in her dead heart. "I'm going back."

Kabuto looked shocked. "What? Why?"

"Because…there's something I have to do. And it's not taking out Dracula if that's what you're thinking. It's…my fault that the Willow Witch's lover fell dead. Mine and my Sisters'. We were sent to stop Team Hebi from reaching a safe zone. We failed and launched an attack on them as well as those they had found. We should have just turned around and headed back to the Sound. Instead we killed an innocent human woman and pissed off a very powerful witch. I must face judgment at the Willow Witch's hands for myself and my Sisters' sake as well as the witch herself." She smiled a grim smile. "It's funny…I've killed so many innocent humans in my un-life, and this is the only one I feel guilty about. Perhaps it's better I get taken out now before I become a worse monster than Dracula and Orochimaru."

"But you're nowhere near being a monster like they were. And you don't have to die," Kabuto insisted.

"There's much you don't know about me, Kabuto. Being alive for six centuries has changed me into something that can never be all good. It's long past time I be put in the ground. Annabeth and Tessa were the only reason I held on as long as I did. Without them, I have nothing, and I bear the weight of our immoral acts upon my shoulders. I must be free of at least one of them. I must confront the Willow Witch and allow her to have her vengeance," Celeste stated.

"…You have me now."

"But it's too late to hold on to you."

Kabuto's gaze lowered to stare at their linked hands. "So that's it then."

"I'm sorry, Kabuto. I…hope you understand."

"I do. May you…pass into the next life with peace."

"…Thank you…"

* * *

_A/N: Nothing all that exciting in this chapter. Mostly it revolved around lovey dovey stuff between Tayuya and Kimimaro and then Celeste and Kabuto. What did you think of this? Please tell me. Thank you for reading. And Happy Holidays, Everyone!_


	29. Chapter 29

_A/N: This story will be ending soon. It doesn't mean I'll never write anymore about these people. After all, this story is just about the rise of the Slayer. There's going to be at least one sequel to it for Season 7 of Buffy. Anyways, here's the next chapter. Please read on.

* * *

_

Chapter 29

There was a still in the air as the sun began to gently caress the sky. Dracula's vampires were scattered-some pursued the escapees while others prepared for Dark Willow's arrival. Dracula lay in agonizing pain in his bed, blood being pumped into him via machine since he could not swallow anymore. Celeste remained just outside of the Sound village, awaiting her judgment. Kabuto and the rest of the Sound vampires traveled farther from their home. The Leaf ninja were quickly approaching their target and would be there by sunrise.

And Dark Willow was ready to fight.

All the pieces were in position.

What would happen now?

* * *

Celeste stood with her back to the tyrant's liar, black hair blowing around her face in the light breeze of the morning. She watched the sun rising without fear for the first time in centuries. What did she have to fear anymore? She was going to die today. She would face judgment for herself and her fallen Sisters at the hands of the Willow Witch. The sun would not beat a vengeance-seeking witch. This would be her last sunrise, and she would not shy away from it just because of what it might do to her. She would see it until the Willow Witch ended her unnatural life.

And yet even with this conviction, she could not stop the tears from falling away from her blue eyes. She wept not for herself, but for those she had lost. Annabeth and Tessa were gone…They would meet again soon. Her loved ones from her time of life…They would never meet again, for a creature such as her could never make it into the gates of heaven. Kabuto…He would live on for his people. It would be a long time before she ever saw him again. He would be a strong leader, better than Dracula and Orochimaru combined, with more than his own needs at the forefront of his thoughts. Despite being against him all this time, she would miss him and wished things hadn't turned out this way. If she had had more time, she might have learned to hold onto him and have something to live for.

But it was not to be.

A dark-haired, dark-eyed woman dressed in dark clothing appeared before Celeste, veins protruding through her skin on her face. A great anger-fueled evil radiated from her, and there was no mistaking who this person was. Celeste knew without having ever met her before. This was the person she and her Sisters had hurt the most that night, Willow the witch from Sunnydale. Her lover Tara had fallen dead because of them. Now she had come for her vengeance.

"Kill me, Willow Witch," Celeste whispered as she stared unwaveringly at the woman. "Judge me for the monster I am. Put me where I belong. End me forever."

"…Where are your Sisters?" Dark Willow demanded in dark tones.

"…Dracula killed them yesterday because of the scars placed upon them by the purple-haired Slayer. I stand here in their stead. Judge me the same as you would judge all three of us, for I am all that remains now. Then you may destroy the monster than created us and made us the killers we were. I shall never hate you for taking his life. He deserves no less," Celeste told her calmly.

Dark Willow said nothing more. She simply flicked her wrist and Celeste's flesh was peeled away to expose everything concealed underneath. Celeste screamed out in pain, for merely removing the skin of a vampire would not kill them. Dark Willow knew this, too. The witch did not want the only remaining Sister to die a quick death. She shot lightning from her fingertips in the shape of a heart around Celeste's own heart and zapped Tara's name in the center of the shape. Then she dismembered Celeste, violently ripping her arms and legs off before moving onto the torso. Removed body parts were dropped to the ground like they were nothing. The Sister did her best not to look at Dark Willow's handiwork, keeping her eyes focused on the rising sun that would render her ashes in a few more minutes.

The witch reached inside Celeste's chest and pulled out her heart at last. She tossed the heart into the sharp end of a tree branch at the same moment that the sun's rays made contact with the remains of the last Sister. She would have smiled if she was capable of it as her dismembered body turned to dust. She had faced her judgment, and at last she would be dead.

She never knew death could be so welcoming.

* * *

"There it is," Naruto said as his group came to a halt right outside of the castle that had once belonged to Orochimaru. "The lair of the beast. Well, here goes nothing. Willow, here I come."

"Hold on, Naruto," Kakashi remarked, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder to stop him from proceeding. "You can't just waltz in the front door like that. The Sound ninja would be on you before you could blink."

"They should have come out by now," Kurenai put in, glancing around the silent forests and castle suspiciously. "There should be some sort of guard even if the sun is out. Where are they? Is it possible they're all inside? Or could Willow have beaten us here and taken them all out already?"

"Either option is possible. But even so, we should move cautiously from here on out. If Dracula managed to get the Sound Five on his side and we stumble upon them, it would not be pretty," Kakashi stated.

"We should split up, Kakashi," Angel suggested. "We'd cover more ground that way."

"All right. We'll divide into four groups. Sakura, Naruto, and Kankuro will be with me. Kurenai, you'll have your squad as normal. Angel, you'll be paired with Rock Lee, Buffy, and Neji. The rest of you are with Atem. We'll keep in contact via wireless headset. If anything goes wrong, speak up. We'll cover you if we can. Remember, everyone; we're deep in enemy territory now. There's a good chance that not all of us will get out of here alive, much less be able to stop Willow from destroying the world. But I have faith in each and every one of you. Don't let me down. We meet in Dracula's quarters," Kakashi declared.

"Right," the others chorused, some louder than others.

"Disperse!"

The groups disappeared, heading in their different directions to attack the building from four different points. They believed in themselves for the most part; a little doubt worked its way into their heads but never took over their fighting spirit. Sakura withdrew her double-pointed stake in anticipation. Hinata tightened her grip on her staff-sword in anxiety. Buffy grabbed her one-point stakes in determination.

The Slayers would not be dying without a serious fight today.

And neither would their friends if they could help it.

* * *

Upon entry into the east wing of the castle, Atem's group was attacked by a handful of vampire ninja. He was prepared for their attack; he withdrew his crossbow and launched several wooden bolts into their chests, hitting his marks without issues. Others were not so easily done away with, which was where the British vampire and the ninjas came in. Spike fought a couple hand-to-hand and cheated with the help of Shikamaru's Shadow Manipulation Jutsu. Gaara encompassed them in his sand and destroyed them with Sand Coffin to erase any trace of their existence. Temari swung her huge battle fan with such force that many vampire ninja were decapitated before they could reach her. The wind from her attacks repelled many of their blows as well, making them easy targets for the others.

Their battle lasted for over ten minutes before no enemies stood in their path. Everyone was left to catch their breaths and tend to their superficial wounds save Spike and Gaara, the dead one and the nearly-impossible-to-injure one.

"…Vampire ninja…are no walk in the park," Shikamaru gasped, clutching a cut on his shoulder that was bleeding pretty badly for a small cut.

"There a…combination of two of the world's greatest killers. Of course they're not going to be…easy to kill. If they were, I'd be worried that…we weren't in the Sound village," Atem remarked. "I haven't seen anything like these guys…in my whole slaying career. Vampires on their own are tough enough…"

"And ninja can be quite a handful without being the living dead," Spike agreed.

"Combined they're a menace," Gaara muttered.

"Atem! Did you see how well I handled those jerks? They were no match for me! I could probably take on all the vampires in this Kami-forsaken castle all on my own, so you don't need to protect me or anything! I can protect you if you want me to, though," Temari offered, being flirty and unnecessarily loud.

The teen sweat-dropped. "That…won't be necessary, Temari."

"All right, but if you're ever in trouble I'll be right there to save you!" Temari exclaimed.

"Temari, you're making a fool of yourself," Gaara stated, annoyed.

The blonde teen pouted, placing her hands on her hips. "So says the boy who didn't start loving people until a few months ago! You don't understand what it's like to find the one that's just right for you! I finally found him, so I'm gonna protect him at all costs because I love him! Don't you judge me, brother!"

Gaara turned his back on her. "I don't have to. Everyone else is already doing that."

"No they're not!" Temari shouted before turning to look at the others. Their expressions clearly showed that they were indeed judging her, even Atem. "Okay…well, maybe they are…But still!"

"We should get moving. There are plenty more vampires where these guys came from, including Count Dracula," Atem interjected before Temari could rant anymore about feelings and judging. "We mustn't forget why we're here. Dracula and his followers must fall. And Willow must be convinced to not destroy the world. If we fail any part of this mission we fail the world. Let's not get sidetracked anymore, all right?"

The others silently agreed before the group proceeded forward.

* * *

Squad 8 was likewise greeted by Sound vampires when they burst in through the west wing of the castle. Hinata swung her staff-sword at her foes with ease, the silver sword end severing limbs and heads whereas the sharp-pointed wooden end caused a great amount of pain to them if it did not end them. Shino pulled out his wooden katana, making himself useful where his bugs would not have helped as much. Kiba had his wooden scythe handy, and Akamaru went to work tearing vampires apart in resemblance to a werewolf. Kurenai and her wooden battle fan did quite a number on the Sound vampires, as did her genjutsu.

"How you holding up, Hinata?" Kiba asked halfway through the battle. "Still afraid that you're gonna see us die?"

"…Yes, but I'm not gonna let my fears hold me back," Hinata replied, swinging her silver blade behind her to decapitate someone.

"Look out!" Shino shouted suddenly. He moved quickly to attack a vampire that had been casting a jutsu against Hinata. She dodged the fire that vampire shot at her, thanks to Shino's warning. The buggy teen was clawed nastily by his foe, causing him to hiss in pain before bringing his wooden blade down into his arm to sever it severely. It wasn't enough to kill his enemy and so that ninja jumped a safe distance away. Akamaru was quickly upon that guy who was one of the last vampire ninja in this corridor to make him pay for hurting his comrade.

"Shino, are you all right, man?" Kiba wanted to know, rushing over to his comrade with the others. They all bore their battle scars, but the one Shino had received was worse than theirs. The ninja vampire had torn right through the kid's jacket and shirt, shredding cloth and flesh alike with his claws. Blood seeped from his wounds, an eerie crimson color.

"…Yeah…I'll be fine," Shino said with a little pain. "…The blood is sure to attract more of them to us…especially this much…"

"I'll help you," Hinata offered since it was partly her fault that Shino ended up this way. Her hand glowed green with healing chakra and she placed it over his injury, healing the marred skin. "One of my cousins is a medic nin and she taught me a thing or two when she found out what a horrible predicament we would be in. Guess it really did come in handy, didn't it?"

"That's very crafty of you, Hinata. We're gonna need you more than ever now," Kurenai complimented with a smile at her student's continuous improvement.

Hinata beamed, but said nothing. Her hands fidgeted behind her back out of sight of the others as she still wasn't used to being the center of attention and praise. First a vampire on her side, then her father, and now her sensei? It was getting to be a bit too much. But she would feel her strongest only if Naruto recognized her strength. _I guess...I guess I can do with this praise until then, _she thought, a soft secret smile appearing on her lips.

"Thanks," Shino muttered, standing once more. "…We should get moving again. The scent of human blood will be attracting them to us. We still have to find Dracula and Willow. We cannot let them hold us back."

"Yeah! Let's give 'em hell!" Kiba agreed.

"Technically, haven't they already been there?" Shino remarked.

"Nah, they just died. The demonic hell bloodline has run pretty thin by now. Their vampiric ancestor might have come from Hell, but if he were to slither his way here now, we'd show him something a lot worse than that place," Kiba explained. "He'd be no match for us!"

"Hey Kiba, don't look now but there's a Hell-vampire coming for us," Kurenai said.

"What?" Kiba exclaimed, jumping into Shino's arms. "No! I'm too young to die!"

Shino dropped him like a sack of potatoes. "You're…some kind of moron."

"Enough joking around. We've got serious business to deal with here," Hinata reminded them in her best no-nonsense voice.

"Right," Kurenai murmured, glancing down the hall at a new group of Sound vampires. "So let's go deal with it."

* * *

There weren't any guards at the southern part of the castle when Squad 7 plus Kankuro broke in. Where they came in actually appeared to be the living quarters of all the vampires that wouldn't be on guard duty at that time. The halls were lined with doors to rooms where the Sound ninja vampires slept the day away and tried to forget about the impending doom that was coming for them in the form of Dark Willow. The lack of guard in this area suggested traps in their stead.

"What kind of traps, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked, looking to his teacher for guidance.

"I'm not sure just yet," Kakashi admitted. "…I don't see any paper bombs or wires or any other normal traps. Perhaps if I look around with my Sharingan I might uncover something." He pulled up his Leaf headband, revealing his crimson eye. This eye revealed a whole new picture. Chakra lasers were up-and-down the halls in random patterns-they had just barely missed setting some off themselves. The chakra levels were purposely made low so that the normal eye could not see them, but did not take into account the eye of the Sharingan.

"Well?" Naruto pressed.

"There's definitely some sort of trap. Chakra lasers have been set up all over this place. If we hit one, it'll probably set off some sort of alarm and the vampires will be all over us. We can avoid some unnecessary confrontation by maneuvering through the lasers, but there's a problem with that," Kakashi told them.

"Yeah. You're the only one that can see the lasers," Kankuro pointed out.

"And if you're the only one that can see them, that means you're the only one that could possibly move around them without setting off the trap or alarm," Sakura concluded.

"Oh, that's it? We're here to kill these damn vamps, anyway! Let's just go ahead and walk through this place already! It'll be a better world without them!" Naruto remarked, getting ready to step forward.

"Don't you do that," Kankuro warned, using his Puppet Master Jutsu to pull the kid back to where he was. "Sure, we're here to kill these vampires, but we want to have the advantage. Walking right into their traps would just get you killed. We gotta be smart here, kid. I know that's not your strong suit, but at least try to be intelligent instead of headstrong, okay?"

"…Kankuro, do you think you could maneuver people with your jutsu through the chakra lasers if you could see them?" Kakashi inquired.

"Well, sure. _If_ I could see them. But I can't. Only you can," Kankuro replied.

"You can see them. He can move us through them. But neither of you can do both." Sakura sighed. "It's too bad you guys aren't the same person. Then you could solve this predicament with ease."

"Oh, but we can," Kakashi stated. "If Kankuro listens to my instructions and uses his Puppet Master Jutsu on you two, he can get you through to the other end of this hall. Our enemies expect us all to be down at this end when the alarm is triggered, but then they'll be surprised when you suddenly appear from the other end to attack. The element of surprise is a ninja's best friend."

"That's only assuming I don't screw up following your instructions on where the chakra lasers are and set them off early," Kankuro muttered.

"Why can't you just tell us where the lasers are and let us move through them ourselves?" Naruto demanded.

"Because you're too clumsy to move through them without setting them off. I trust Kankuro moving you more than I do you moving on your own," Kakashi bluntly put it. "Since Kankuro's already got chakra threads attached to you, you can go through first and Sakura will follow you. When you guys are down there, tell us what you see. We don't want to be unaware of a possible reinforcement from down there."

"You got it, sensei," Sakura said.

With Kakashi's word as his guidance, Kankuro's Puppet Master Jutsu helped Naruto to get through the chakra lasers without breaking any of them. It took a long time with him because of their blindness to the lasers and this being their first run through them, but he managed to make it to a 'safe zone' at the other end of the hall. His body was twisted into many positions that didn't seem natural; it couldn't be helped with the way the chakra lasers were set up. But besides a bit of grumbling about soreness Naruto was fine. Sakura went through faster and her movements looked more graceful than Naruto's because she was a girl.

The hall branched off in two different directions that were likewise lined with doors to vampires' sleeping chambers. If these traps were released or the alarm went off, they would certainly have their hands full.

But that was fine with them, for they had advantages.

They weren't tired. They had a Slayer and a Sharingan master. They had puppets and persistency and impatience. And they had dogs and toads they could summon to kick butt.

What did these guys have on that?

The Crow, the Ant, and the Salamander were released by Kankuro. Kakashi summoned his dogs, knowing they'd be useful when it would come to this upcoming fight. Naruto called forth a fighter toad that was about the same height that he was but a lot wider and perched himself on the amphibian's head, stakes drawn at the ready. Sakura pulled back her fist at Kakashi's command and punched through the wall, letting in the bright sunlight through the hall as it crashed down.

The sound of the wall coming down was enough to wake up the sleeping vampires. They came scurrying out of their bedrooms, still half-asleep for the most part but vamped out nonetheless. Some were immediately forced to retreat back into their dark rooms because of Sakura's previous action, and a few were still too sleepy to make it back out of the sun before becoming crispy. The sunlight was not meant to end this fight. It only served to restrict the area the vampires could fight in.

And fight they did.

Walls held no boundaries for these vampires. The ones that had been trapped in their rooms because of the sun broke through the walls to reach the darkness of the halls on either side of Sakura and Naruto. Squad Seven's Genin welcomed them with a smirk and a stake to the heart, but they would not last long without their sensei and the Sand shinobi. The ninja dogs came through the halls to join the fight with the three puppets with their masters following quickly. Naruto's fighter toad batted a handful of vampire ninja towards them and the sun, rendering them dead, and focused its metal blade on taking out more.

What a crazy battle this would be.

* * *

"Hello, Dracula," Buffy muttered as she and her group faced him in his chamber, which just happened to be at the northern part of the castle where they had broken in. They had faced their battles for a good portion of the day, but finally they were here. "Long time no see."

The Count was not able to respond as his vocal cords were permanently dead. Rock Lee and Neji had never before seen the vamp that had caused them so much grief, but they never imagined him looking so weak. His eyes were covered with bandages, as were both of his arms, and he lay on a bed with a machine feeding his blood into him. Someone had hurt him long before they had come around and before Willow could get her spells on him. If a simple person without magic could do such a thing to him, they could only imagine what Willow could do.

"Do not take another step forward," Neji ordered as Buffy made to move. "This room has been fixed with traps for he or she who would be so foolish as to come close to him. Paper bombs, wires, normal bombs, spring-knife attacks…They've gone the whole nine yards to keep this man from being attacked again. Lee might be able to get past them…but I wouldn't leave this up to chance."

"Agreed. It is best to just wait until the others get here," Rock Lee agreed.

"What if someone realizes we're here before they arrive?" Buffy asked.

"We will take them out. That is your job, is it not?" Rock Lee said with a smile.

"…We got here…," Angel thought aloud. "…So…why isn't Willow here by now? There's been no sign of her being anywhere near the Sound village. No bodies-not that vampires would leave those with their deaths-no destruction, no anything. Even that old bag of bones Dracula is still alive. What gives? Did she change her mind about vengeance and just decide to end the world?"

"Maybe she went after the Sisters and that's what's taking her so long?" Buffy suggested.

"…No. The Sisters are dead."

The group whipped around to see Dark Willow standing suddenly behind them. Darkness and evil radiated from her person, so strong that it could perhaps make one suffocate. She pushed past the group and walked through the chamber towards Dracula. Traps were set off, many hitting their mark and forcing the other four back, but none of them stopped Dark Willow from getting where she wanted to be. Dracula sensed her presence and began to wriggle, but it was too late.

It was too late as soon as she entered the room.

"You killed two of the Sisters just because they faced severe consequences at Hinata's hand for killing my beloved! You placed the burden of their actions unto the last Sister's arms and she faced their judgment like a good woman! She was a thousand times the man you ever were, Dracula! As I now see what she has done to you with a little assistance from that medic Kabuto, I am warmed! But it is not enough, you fool! You created the Sisters and sent them after Team Hebi, which resulted in the death of my beloved! You must die permanently! You must pay for the pain you have caused the innocent people of this world! It is because of that pain that I could not be here earlier, for even in the light of day your kind continues to hurt those closest to me! Die, you damn sucker, die!" Dark Willow bellowed.

The blood-feeding machine was thrust out of Dracula by a violent invisible force and then he was suspended in the air by that same force. A blink of the eye…his flesh flew from him, falling to the ground like an old blanket. He silently screamed in his pain. Dark Willow made several wooden stakes materialize out of thin air. They went flying through the air into Dracula's exposed insides, careful to avoid hitting the heart, resulting in vampire blood spilling onto the tile floor. Dark Willow's anger took over her desire to make him pay, and she set him to flames much more quickly than she had done to Celeste to end his existence on Earth. She uttered the vampire killer spell to make sure he could never come back.

Nothing remained of Dracula when the fire went out.

Dark Willow turned her dark gaze to those behind her, who had already alerted the others of Dracula's final death and the dark witch's presence. A small smile worked its way onto her lips.

"It will be over soon, my friends. None of you will have to suffer any longer," she whispered, sounding somewhat happy about ending the world.

"Don't do it, Willow. Your vengeance is complete. That's what you wanted in the first place. You don't have to end the world," Buffy insisted and was immediately backed up by the others and their words.

"Oh, but I do, Buffy. There is too much pain in it primarily caused by humans and their selfish ways. I cannot allow such evil to continue to exist. I must put an end to it if I have that power. And I do, and once the world is ended I shall no longer suffer."

"Willow, the Kyuubi made you feel the pain of the world because your anger and quest for vengeance drove you to sap his strength. Naruto said it would all go away once your anger faded and your quest was completed. Both have happened now. Give it time and you will realize that you are no longer cursed," Rock Lee urged.

"You spandex-wearing freak…You understand nothing!" Dark Willow hissed.

Rock Lee was thrown back by an invisible force into the wall behind him; the force of the blow was enough to render him unconscious. It became clear then that talking would not be enough to stop Dark Willow. They were going to have to fight her and bring her down that way. They would have the upper hand, of course. She was still suffering from Kyuubi's curse and every time she would hurt them she would feel the pain, too. She wouldn't be able to kill them without some serious repercussions.

Dark Willow moved her wrist and the wall collapsed, along with part of the ceiling. "I'm going to summon an idol and release its power to destroy the world. Do not follow me if you know what's good for you. Swifter death will come to those who don't heed my warning. Do not follow me."

And then she walked off into the setting sun.

"Neji, Angel, stay with Lee," Buffy told him.

"Why? Where are you going?" Neji wanted to know.

"I'm going to follow her, and stop her with all my strength," was Buffy's reply.

* * *

_A/N: I'm horrible at writing fighting scenes, but I hope this chapter kept you interested enough to reach this point. What did you think? Please tell me. Thank you for reading._


	30. Chapter 30

_A/N: After this chapter, there will be only one or two left to go. This one shall conclude the Willow conflict. Will anyone else die? Will the world come to an end? Only one way to find out. Please read on and enjoy!

* * *

_

Chapter 30

"You're not going out there alone," Angel stated defiantly as Buffy started after her angsty witch friend while Neji knelt on the ground next to his unconscious comrade. "Let's wait for the others to arrive before we even think of pursuing Willow. You saw what she is capable of. Going in alone will only get you killed. It's better to wait."

"And if we wait she could get away and we wouldn't be able to find her before the world ends," Buffy countered without turning around.

"…She has a point," Neji muttered, checking Rock Lee's vitals in order to assure himself that his comrade was still alive. "Waiting too long could end in disaster. But if she goes alone, death is certain. We shall all go, the four of us."

"But Rock Lee is in no condition to be going anywhere. Willow just gave him a concussion," Angel pointed out.

Neji shook his head. "No, she didn't. She just hit him hard enough to render him unconscious as a warning to us. He will be awake again soon enough. And he's one of the strongest among us, a master of the Ferocious Fist taijutsu fighting style. Such skill has made him even faster than me. He could avoid Willow's magic with little trouble. The only reason she got him this time is because he wasn't expecting her to attack her friends. A mistake he won't make again."

"Fine! If you're coming, you'd better hurry! Willow is getting farther away with every second!" Buffy snapped, impatient.

The male Hyuuga lifted Rock Lee onto his shoulders, saying no more on the subject. He and Angel followed Buffy's lead as she pursued Dark Willow, purposely keeping her distance as to give Rock Lee time to wake from his unconscious state. Neji managed to keep pace with them even while shouldering another person. It helped that Rock Lee opened his eyes five minutes after they began running and was then able to run on his own.

Dark Willow led them into an open grassland before suddenly turning around to face them, clearly unhappy that they had not heeded her warning and decided to follow her, anyway. Rock Lee removed his heavy leg-weights, knowing he would need all of his speed in order to face this witch. Neji activated his Byakugan. Buffy and Angel took their battle stances. The two opposing forces faced each other in silence and the light of the setting sun, waiting for someone to make the first move.

"…You were warned not to follow me," Dark Willow growled. "Now you'll die!"

Lightning shot from her palm towards the group, forcing them to disperse in order to avoid being hit by the attack and the debris that resulted from the attack hitting the ground. Rock Lee charged straight at the witch, moving faster than her eyes could see. She lashed out at him with her magic, but failed to hit him; he was just too fast. He appeared above her head and she realized he was there too slowly. With a murmured apology his foot made serious contact with her head, sending her tumbling to the ground. He followed that up with a Leaf Hurricane attack, which sent her spinning through a few trees until she was out of sight. He turned to his comrades and gave them a thumbs-up, flashing his brilliant smile.

Then the trees were thrust from the ground by a force that even Neji could not see, barely missing Rock Lee as the werewolf boy quickly moved out of the way. Dark Willow came floating from the place where she had fallen, looking more pissed than she had been earlier. She focused her attacks on the one that had hurt her the most thus far, and he moved as fast as he could to avoid being hit. This became difficult when she shot a certain death spell that would not stop until it hit its specified target. Rock Lee had to go at breakneck speed to stay ahead of this spell, and sometimes it would trick him and force him to change directions on the fly.

Neji came into action them, using the Air Palm Jutsu to turn Dark Willow's fury on him instead. She was flung back in the air from the blow. Her dark eyes searched him out, and the spell she had intended for Rock Lee came at him now. He let it come until it was a second from impacting him, then he swiftly moved out of the way so the spell would hit the ground instead of him. The plants that had been where he had just stood withered and died, which was exactly what would have happened to him if he hadn't moved in the nick of time.

While Dark Willow had been distracted by the ninja of the group, Buffy and Angel had been making their way silently towards the area where the witch hovered. The blonde Slayer leapt up off of Angel's shoulders and wrapped her arms around Dark Willow's throat, trying to choke her into unconsciousness. Her legs went to restrain her friend's arms to prevent her from pulling her off. But the witch didn't need her arms or her lungs to cast spells. Her mouth needed only to put a voice to magic in order for it to work. She gasped a spell out that forced Buffy away from her. A coffin appeared out of thin air and closed around the Slayer with nails sealing her inside. She banged on the lid of the coffin but was unable to break out of it. Angel went to help her, but Dark Willow flicked her wrist and vines reached him from the surrounding trees to restrain his arms and legs. Even his vampire strength was not enough to free him.

_Oh no, _Rock Lee thought as he continued to run around the witch to avoid being seen. _Buffy is trapped, and if she is trapped in there too long her air supply will run out and she will die. And if Angel remains there, Willow can destroy him or the sun will take care of that, depending on how long we remain out here. We must try to free them..._

"Neji, we have to-!"

But Neji had been Dark Willow's next victim. He had thought ahead of his comrade and went to free Angel from his bonds. The witch had predicted as much. She caught him in midair with her magic, rendering him immobile, and then tossed him into a boulder that had no right to be in this place. Rock Lee saw blood trickling from the corner of the male Hyuuga's mouth and coming from under his headband where he had taken the most damage. Neji slumped to the ground, knocked into unconsciousness. His headband slipped from his forehead to expose that mark he detested so greatly, as well as the source of his bleeding.

"Damn it…," Rock Lee swore as Dark Willow's eyes turned to find him.

"You're next, freak," she hissed before launching her next set of attacks.

* * *

The others met up in the place that had not long ago been Dracula's room but could no longer be considered Dracula's, or even a room for that matter. It had been destroyed and was more of a gateway to the outdoors. Hinata smelled the scent of burnt vampire and it made her stomach churn. She knew before anyone said it that Dark Willow was responsible for this and wasn't sure if she should be grateful or afraid.

"Buffy's group must have gone after her," Kurenai assumed.

"They left about twenty minutes ago," Kakashi remarked, knowing this from scent.

_I was about to say that, _Kiba pouted mentally.

"Well, what are we waiting for? We have to go catch them and stop Willow. That's not gonna happen if we keep standing around here. So c'mon already! Let's go!" Naruto shouted, making a move to go through the wall after his 'evil' friend.

For once, the others didn't argue against his brash actions. They followed him towards the place where Dark Willow had fought Buffy's squad. Only one fighter remained standing against her, and they were shocked to see the others in unfavorable predicaments. Neji lay unconscious on the ground, Buffy trapped within a coffin with her air fading away, and Angel restrained where he could be ended at any point. Only Rock Lee remained on his feet, but that was only due to sheer willpower to free his friend from her curse and to prevent her from ending the world. She had done quite a number to him despite his speed now that she only had to worry about him.

She halted in her attacks when she noticed their sudden arrival, her dark eyes shifting over to stare at them. Rock Lee glanced over his shoulder at his friends as well; he was never so happy to see them. Dark Willow noticed his distraction and went to attack him while he wasn't looking. It was better to get rid of this speedy freak before he could do any more damage.

Hinata saw the witch's attack coming and ran towards him, but she wasn't fast enough. The spell hit Rock Lee head on, shocking his body with lightning. His body fell forward right into Hinata's arms. She turned him over so she could see his face. He murmured something about being foolish enough to turn his back to his opponent before his eyes closed. She quickly checked his vitals signs and was relieved to find that he was still alive despite that magical attack. Hinata carried his body over to where Neji's laid, preferring that these guys stay together out of harm's way.

Then Hinata looked up at Dark Willow with her Byakugan to see how powerful the witch was after fighting these four and taking out Dracula. She gasped when she saw how high Dark Willow's energy levels were despite everything she had done thus far. How much energy had the Kyuubi truly let her steal? Did he want the world to end, too? Or was it just a ploy he had created to see if she was really capable of destroying her friends and the world when her vengeance was complete?

"If you know what's good for you," Dark Willow said suddenly, "you'll take your friends and leave this place. I have shown them mercy this once, but I will not be so generous if you persist in trying to stop me in my quest. I am going to end this, one way or another, and if I must endure the pain of your deaths in order to do so, then so be it."

They made no move to leave. Sakura ran over to where Buffy was trapped and ripped the lid of the coffin right off despite the nails securing it in place. Naruto followed her example and slashed the vines that were restraining Angel to set him free. Dark Willow made no move to stop them; she barely glanced their way as they freed their friends. Sakura supported Buffy, seeing as the Slayer was weak from oxygen deprivation and could barely stand on her own.

"So, you are all fools, then? Ah well...I guess I can't expect anything less from you bone-headed morons," Dark Willow sighed, closing her eyes. "So be it then."

Her dark eyes flashed open, sending fire careening towards the people she once called friend. They were quick to jump out of the way to avoid being singed, but the grass where the group had been standing caught fire and began to spread. Kakashi ordered Hinata to move the injured to someplace safe while he and the others fought the witch. She was quick to obey, not wanting to see what could happen to her friends and also wanting to assure that two lives were spared from this harsh battle. She put one body on either shoulder before running off to a clearing a safe distance from the Sound vampires and the vengeful witch Willow.

With the aid of her Byakugan and the skills her medic cousin had taught her, she tended to the wounds of Neji and Rock Lee. The latter's wounds were more with his nerve impulses whereas the former suffered from blunt-force trauma. Her basic knowledge of medical ninjutsu helped her to help them. They would be fine.

_That is...if the world doesn't end, _Hinata thought nervously, fidgeting as she sat on the grass beside the unconscious bodies of her friends. _I...I should be getting back to the battle. They might need me to defeat Willow...and...It's my duty as a Slayer...to do whatever it takes to keep this world intact. But...what if it's over already and...she killed them all? I...I couldn't stand seeing all those...dead bodies. Especially not that of..._

The tears started to pour and her body began to tremble. _NARUTO!_

She shook her head and wiped her tears away forcibly. _No. I can't think like that. Naruto is strong and so am I. I have to go back and believe in the abilities of my comrades. They wouldn't be dead yet. Even with magic on her side, Willow would not be able to take them out that easily. They would all go out fighting with everything they have. I...I believe in them._

_And I believe in me.

* * *

_

Five minutes.

That was all that it had taken Dark Willow to take out more than half of her attackers.

But with all of her talk about killing, she didn't take anyone's life. She merely severely injured them and rendered them unconscious. Perhaps that pain was all she could stand. However, this did enough to damage them. If she managed to knock out the others, then it would all be over, anyway.

The fallen were Shikamaru, Atem, Angel, Spike, Kankuro, Kurenai, and Kiba and Akamaru. When Shikamaru tried to capture Dark Willow's shadow, she had grabbed their adjoined shadows herself and flung him into the ground so hard it sounded like a few of his bones broke. Atem stood little chance as he was not used to going against such a powerful witch, and much to Temari's dismay he was taken out by his own crossbow when Dark Willow ceased it with her magic and hit him hard in the neck. Angel and Spike were foolish, as the bleach-blonde Brit had chosen that moment to poke fun at the other's easy capture. Dark Willow used her magic to force the two to collide so hard they collapsed on top of one another. Kankuro used his puppets to move in for the 'kill', but just as Gaara had promised he interfered with his sand to prevent any deathblow. His sand was too slow; Dark Willow broke free of the Salamander's body and destroyed his beloved puppets before barbequing the puppet master. Kurenai's genjutsu had no effect. And Kiba and Akamaru's best attacks had done little more than piss the witch off further.

Now all that remained to combat her was Sakura, Buffy, Naruto, Kakashi, Temari, Gaara, and Shino. Hinata was still absent for the moment, but they didn't believe her to be a deserter. She would be back soon enough.

_Shadow Clone Jutsu!_ Naruto called again for what seemed like the billionth time this battle. About thirty or so of him appeared, all armed to confront Dark Willow. The real him and one of his clones began the Rasengan while his clones and the others launched their attacks.

"Take this!" Sakura screamed, appearing suddenly behind the witch while she was distracted by Naruto's clones from the front. She rammed her fist into the side of Dark Willow's head, sending her careening through the air into the waiting fan of Temari. "Maybe that will knock some sense into you!"

"The third moon is exposed," Temari taunted as she swung her mighty battle fan to slice the witch with wind and send her back towards Naruto's clones again. "You will be dead, I mean defeated, soon enough."

_Rasengan! _Naruto and his buddy-clone leapt up to meet the spiraling body of their possessed friend and drove the blue orb of swirling chakra into her gut, praying to Kami that such a blow would not kill her.

It didn't. She took the blow like it was nothing and punched through Naruto's clone, destroying it, before grabbing Naruto by the collar and tossing him towards the ground with as much force as she could muster. Gaara's sand saved him from total destruction in the end, softening his landing so he wouldn't be down for the count. Then his sand shot up to surround the witch, encasing her without a chance of escape. But he did not perform the Sand Coffin like he would have done with anyone else. He had sworn he would not kill this woman because she was somewhat precious to Naruto and was like him in a strange way. He just squeezed his hand slightly in order to cause enough pressure within the sand cocoon to render her unconscious.

This too failed. She used her magic to force the sand away from her body as soon as she felt the pressure. Then Dark Willow took control that sand and sent it after Gaara. He was not prepared for that; his own personal sand shield came up to ward off the attack. But as it was his own sand that came to attack him, it became useless. The sand she controlled blasted right through his sand shield and encompassed him like a tomb. He found it suddenly very hard to breathe for the first time in his life.

"Gaara!" Temari and Naruto screamed in unison, both making a run towards the sand coffin that was suffocating the red-haired boy.

"Look out!" Sakura cried, running towards them in turn, for she saw Dark Willow preparing to launch an attack at them and Gaara.

They turned too slowly and Sakura ran too quick. She jumped in the way of the lightning attack Dark Willow intended for them and took the full force of the attack. She screamed a bone-chilling cry as the magical-electricity scoured through her body. It was too much for even her body to handle; she collapsed to the ground at the feet of Temari and Naruto.

"Damn it," Dark Willow hissed. "My attacks are getting weaker with every second. It feels like my power is being stolen from me." Her dark eyes searched out Shino, who was the only one that hadn't truly launched a serious attack yet. "…And it probably is, with you being around here. You're that bug freak from that clan that made an alliance with chakra-feeding insects. You…You put some on me, didn't you?"

Shino gave the slightest hint of a nod. "Even before our battle began, you were at a disadvantage."

"Smart. But not smart enough!"

Dark Willow sent an unseen force that pushed Shino back when he least expected it, sending him flying into the flames of their surroundings. Buffy rescued him from the flames before he could be too crispy, but it was in vain. With another flick of her wrist, the witch summoned within them a pestilence that even Shino's bugs could not compare to. Shino and Buffy collapsed to the ground, trembling with a sickness that could not be cured in their present state. They were numb with pain; with the advanced state this sickness was in it wouldn't be long before their lives faded.

_Four more down, _Kakashi thought sadly, looking at the carnage left from this battle. _And it's only been ten minutes. _He sighed. _We don't stand a chance against her. She's just too powerful no matter what we do._

"Kakashi, didn't anyone ever tell you that thinking in the middle of a fight isn't smart?" Dark Willow crooned, suddenly behind him.

_What?_

Kakashi didn't act quickly enough for once in his life. Dark Willow touched his neck just once and he fell in a heap at her feet, no longer able to continue fighting.

"And then there were two," she purred, turning to face Temari and Naruto.

* * *

_I've been gone for twelve minutes now, _Hinata thought as she hurried towards the battle without her Byakugan activated. _I wonder how my comrades are faring. Knowing Naruto, he's probably already beaten Willow down after being beaten down a few times himself. That's how his battles always go. He's some kind of amazing hero._

Then she came to a halt on the edge of the battlefield, flames to her back and disaster to her front.

She couldn't believe her eyes. All of her comrades were collapsed on the ground, motionless as logs. Some had been that way slightly longer than others, but not one of them was moving anymore. Dark Willow hovered above all of them, holding a barely conscious Naruto by his collar. Seeing him so battered as well as the others in such a condition brought tears anew to Hinata's eyes. It brought back the memories of the night when Tara had fallen.

"I was wondering when you would show up," Dark Willow purred. "Here. I believe this valiant hero is yours. You can have him for what's left of your life, dear Hinata. Just don't be foolish and attack me like your friends did or you'll end up just like them."

The dark-haired witch tossed Naruto's body carelessly in Hinata's direction, and the girl quickly ran to catch him so he wouldn't be hurt anymore. He looked so weak just then, weaker than Hinata could recall seeing him before. His cerulean eyes stared up at her from under his drooping lids and he somehow managed to grin despite all the pain. Her tears fell onto his face, and she felt a little ashamed for that.

"…Hinata…help Gaara…and Buffy and Shino…please," he stammered, barely able to talk anymore.

That was just like him, worrying about others when he was hurt just as bad. Hinata was not one to ask questions of this boy, though, so she went to do what he asked. Gaara's body trapped in his own sand was a disturbing sight. She disrupted the chakra flow that had no right being there and the sand fell away from him. Oxygen deprivation left him unconscious and useless if there was any chance of fighting Dark Willow. Shino and Buffy were harder to help; Dark Willow's pestilence was a great beast of chakra mixed with virus. But she managed to pull their lives out of the danger zone, keeping them alive for now.

She came back over to Naruto's side, her tears having never stopped during her completing his requests. He smiled up at her again.

"Thank you…Hinata…You really are a great person," he whispered, his eyes closing a bit more. "I'm sorry…you had to see me like this. I know…you never wanted to because of your feelings…and I'm sorry this has upset you."

"It's…It's all right, Naruto. You didn't ask to be hurt. You just wanted to help your friend," Hinata said. "I understand that. But…I think she's beyond helping now."

"No one…is beyond help," Naruto murmured.

"Of course not…," Hinata agreed quietly and glanced up at Dark Willow, who had started to float away towards the exact location where she would summon the world-ending idol from the earth. "…And I will try to knock some sense into her myself for you now. I must use my own strength to help your friend come to rights."

"Wait…Hinata…Don't do it!" Naruto pleaded, his voice hoarse and his grip weak as he tried to stop Hinata from going.

"I have to try, Naruto-kun," Hinata told him, giving him her best smile as she looked over her shoulder at him. "If I fail, just know that I love you."

And then she leapt into the air, set on attacking Dark Willow.

Only the witch had anticipated her being so foolish.

She appeared in front of Hinata before she was aware of it and rammed her palm right into the place where the female Hyuuga's heart was beating. Blood came from the point of contact and spewed from her mouth. Time seemed to freeze as Naruto watched this transpire, and he forced himself to stand and to run as Hinata dropped from the sky. It was his turn to catch her. The only difference was her eyes were closed and it sounded like her heart was fading. He fell to his knees and turned his eyes towards the sky to glare at Dark Willow, who likewise had blood on her chin.

"I warned her," Dark Willow stated, pain reflecting in her voice. "Now she will die before everyone else. What a fool she was. Too in love with you to see straight. It's better that she dies."

"Shut up! You don't know her!" Naruto snapped furiously, his eyes that of Kyuubi.

Dark Willow observed him for a moment before turning away once more. "See you in hell soon, demon."

And then she was gone.

"Hinata!" Naruto cried, lying the purple-haired girl's body down on the ground. Somehow she looked paler, like the blood seeping from her body was her life as well and she was already dead. He placed his ear to her chest to find her heart was barely beating now, perhaps four times a minute. She was going to die.

"No! Hinata, don't you die on me!" he screamed, grabbing her by the collar of her jacket and pulling her upright like that would make a difference. "If you love me you won't stop fighting! If you love me you won't die! Please, Hinata-chan! Keep fighting! Keep living for your friend Naruto!"

Her heart beat increased to five, showing that she was indeed fighting. But the damage had been done by a violent blow to the heart. Fighting would not keep her alive. She would have to be treated by a medic ninja or she would fail. Naruto knew this and was at a loss of what to do.

"_**If I fail, just know that I love you."**_

"Hinata," Naruto sobbed, burying his face into her torso as her heart continued to fail and bleed. "You gave up everything…just to prove your love for me, didn't you? You were a fool for doing so…and yet I can't find any anger for you. You…You just did what…you thought was right…No one could have asked for more. I just wish…I could have gotten to know you better…before all of this…"

_**Do not despair yet, Naruto, **_the Kyuubi hissed from within his cage. _**There is still hope for all of you. I sense it.**_

"It doesn't matter anymore…Hope is too late in coming. We'll all be dead in a matter of minutes," Naruto whimpered without raising his face.

_**You've exhausted yourself. Sleep, and when you wake everything will be fine once more, **_the Kyuubi told him soothingly, which was completely out of character for him. He forced his chakra on the boy, making him drowsy and unable to keep his eyes open for another moment. Naruto fell asleep with his head upon Hinata's jacket-covered stomach. The Kyuubi sighed. _**I just hope that mortal ninja and those vampire ninja get here quickly enough, or this will truly be the end of us all.

* * *

**_

Dark Willow touched down on a grassy plain on the edge of a cliff and stared at the lake just below. She stared at the beauty of the earth for the last time before closing her eyes against the stream of tears that fell from them. Her anger was fading despite all of her resolve of wanting to end the world and the pain caused by the creatures of it. The pain was becoming less apparent to her-she could feel less and less of it as her anger dissipated-but still the knowledge of knowing it was there was enough.

No. She would not turn back now.

It was far too late for that.

With a new sense of acceptance, her eyes flashed open and she raised her arms to the sky. The ground shook as a satanic idol began to rise out of the earth in front of her, a nude woman with serpents for hair and fangs for teeth with fire covering her indecencies. Dark Willow needed to only recite an incantation and let her magic flow into the idol and this world would be over.

It would all be over.

"Don't do it, Willow."

The dark-haired witch whipped her head around when she heard his voice, recognizing it. It didn't belong to one of the people she had just fought; it belonged to a man that had stolen her attention and made Tara jealous. Yet she found she could not be angry with him for he was in no way responsible for the events of that night. Laying her dark eyes upon him made her heart skip a beat. She had memorized the set of his jaw, the curvature of the scar on his face, and the caring of his eyes.

"Iruka," she whispered in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

The brown-haired Chuunin stood ten feet from her, but somehow the distance seemed much farther to her. Was there any possible way to close that gap, to bring them back together? Dark Willow wasn't sure.

"I came to stop you from doing something you'd regret," Iruka replied, meeting her gaze without fear though she knew he had passed the carnage of his comrades before coming to her. How could he be so strong when his heart held a place for almost everyone there? Was saving her from herself so important that he was able to remain strong despite seeing those people so mangled?

"How is it that you are so strong after seeing what I've done to the others that were so foolish to follow me?" Dark Willow demanded.

Pain flashed in the man's eyes at the mention of the fallen, but it was brief due to some higher calling that required his attention. "I am strong because I do not let anger take hold of me. I have control of my emotions like you once did. I care greatly for those people, but there's one person I care more about. And I'm staring at her right now…or what used to be her."

"I am who I was. I have not changed," Dark Willow claimed.

"Yes, you have. You're not the same woman that I saw in my class every day. The bright-eyed red-haired woman I fell in love with has disappeared, replaced by this vengeful pain-feeling witch that wishes to end us all," Iruka stated. "Look, I'm sorry about what happened to Tara. I understand that you were grieving over the loss of your lover and wanted revenge. But look at what it's cost you to get that. So many lives…not to mention what you have done to your friends. Wasn't killing Dracula enough for you? Do you really need to end the world on top of that? Would Tara want you to continue like this? Willow, please think about your actions before you go any further."

Despite what her anger wanted her to do, Willow did think and came to see things as they really were for the first time since she had lost Tara. She had killed so many people-most of them witches-and tried to put her friends in the same place. Had she truly grieved over Tara's death yet? She wasn't sure anymore.

The fire of rage was doused by the rain of her logic. Her revenge had been fulfilled. Ending the world was not really necessary even if there was a lot of pain. The happiness and love people experienced balanced it all out.

Willow's appearance returned to normal and she collapsed to her knees. Iruka rushed over to her side to comfort her as she finally let Tara's loss come to her. He held her in his arms while she cried, promising to never let her go again.

* * *

_A/N: And the Dark Willow problem has been resolved! Yay! Too bad she beat everyone up before she went good again! So what did you think of this chapter? Please tell me. Thank you for reading! Have a wonderful day! _


	31. Chapter 31

_A/N: This will be THE last chapter of Rise of the Slayer. Loose ends will be tied here, and things will pick up whenever I decide to do the sequel. I have enjoyed this story, and I hope you have, too. Well, here it goes. Enjoy, my friends and loyal readers!

* * *

_

Chapter 31

She was running through a forest during the twilight hours, not understanding why she was running, but also sure she was not in danger. A smile crept onto her face and strange happiness crept inside of her. She could not remember ever being this happy before. Something special was going to happen; she could feel it in her bones.

She stopped at a large tree in the middle of the forest. A quilt lay folded on a picnic blanket with a basket full of food as its only companion. Confused, she glanced around, wondering two things. Who had left these things and where were they now? It was unlikely that someone would have forgotten so many things at this hour. The air was chilled, something she hadn't realized when she was running, and she was almost tempted to crawl under that quilt even if it didn't belong to her.

"It's about time, Hinata!" a familiar male voice exclaimed.

The purple-haired girl spun around and was startled by Naruto hanging upside down from a tree branch, holding a bouquet of sunflowers in his arms. He grinned that smile of his that had caught her the moment she had met him as he hopped down from his perch. The flowers were held out for her to take, but she was still reeling from the surprise and just couldn't get her hands to move.

"I thought you weren't gonna show. I know this is an unconventional first date and all, but it's the best I can do with the money I have," Naruto said. "And don't ya worry, my sweet little Hinata. I brought food that you'd like that's not ramen. Don't get me wrong; there's ramen in there. But I know that some people eat other stuff, so I thought ahead. I even got Iruka-sensei to make us chocolate chip cookies for dessert. This'll be a great date, believe it!"

Hinata smiled and finally moved to take the sunflowers. "…Just…Just don't sneak up on me like that next time, okay?"

"You got it!" Naruto promised.

He escorted her like a gentleman to the picnic blanket, sitting her down before sitting down himself. The food was still warm when he pulled it out; the smell was intoxicating and Hinata couldn't wait to eat it. Dinner was gone quickly and they sat with their backs to the tree wrapped up in the quilt munching on chocolate chip cookies. The full moon shone her light down on them through the foliage, illuminating Naruto's beautiful cerulean eyes as he looked longingly at Hinata. She felt herself grow a little warm and snuggled farther into his arms.

_I could stay here forever, _she thought, closing her eyes in the peace she felt.

Naruto's voice whispered in her ear. "Hinata, wake up."

Hinata was confused. _But I'm not asleep._

"Hinata, wake up please."

_But I..._

"Hinata? Hinata? Hinata!"

That last shout brought Hinata around. She allowed her lavender eyes to flutter open to find that she was not in a twilight forest in the arms of Naruto on their first date. She lay in on the grassy ground in the darkness of the night with the blonde boy hovering over her as well as a silver-haired man with glasses. She tried to sit up, but the man moved to hold her down with his arm. Pain shot through her from her chest and she quickly gave up the idea of sitting up. With what had happened to her at the hands of Dark Willow, it would be stupid.

_How am I even alive? _Hinata wondered.

"Thank Kami you're alive!" Naruto shouted in delight, still as hyper as ever despite having several bandages on his person. "I thought you were gonna die! And then Kabuto and his fellow ninja showed up and offered to help heal everyone!"

"…Kabuto?" Her eyes flitted over to the silver-haired medic nin. She spotted the Sound insignia on his brow and frowned. "But…aren't you one of the Sound vampires? Shouldn't you…want us dead?"

He shook his head. "We separated from the ruthless murders that followed Dracula, and we've dropped most of Orochimaru's beliefs. It's time for change in the Sound village. We would have left matters alone, but I felt we owed you guys for securing our home and freeing us from that bastard Dracula's tyranny."

"Oh, Kabuto. Don't be that way! You know, now that you're the Otokage, you could arrange for your village to become allies with ours. I mean, sure our village has people that hunt and kill your kind every night, but I'm sure we could work things out. Like by being our ally we swear to only kill your baddies," Naruto suggested.

"…Not gonna happen anytime soon, Naruto," Kabuto grumbled. He turned his dark gaze on Hinata, making it transform into the kind of glance a nurse would give a patient. "Now, I managed to heal the damage Willow's magic did to your heart so that you could live. But your body's still recovering from the near-death fight, so you won't be able to move for awhile without encountering some pain. When we get back to the hideout, I'll inject you with a strong painkiller, but until then you're just going to have to hold on. Naruto's already offered to carry you so you don't have to strain yourself."

"…R…Really?" Hinata was a bit more than surprised and couldn't mask it.

Naruto blushed, his arm going behind his head. "Well, yeah. You really kicked ass today despite your fear of us dying, and you stayed strong even when you saw everyone beat up. Hell, you even dove head-first into danger just to try to knock some sense into Willow for me. The least I could do is carry you."

_Naruto, _Hinata thought, her face taking a tint of pink to it.

"Oh! What happened to Willow?" she asked, remembering that the witch had been going to destroy the world after she hurt Hinata.

"You won't believe it! Iruka-sensei followed us and talked some sense into her! He stopped her from ending the world!" Naruto exclaimed excitedly. "Iruka's the best, even if he's nothing more than a Chuunin! Out of all us special guys, he was the only one that could get through to Willow! And I'm so happy that he did!"

Hinata smiled and looked up at the night sky. "We all are, Naruto. Now the world shall continue, and perhaps the sun will rise on a bright future."

* * *

Sakura had long since been treated by the Sound medic vampires and separated herself from the others. Her body was still stiff and awkward from the lightning attack she had experienced, but at least she was alive. At least everyone was alive. Not one of her comrades had fallen in battle, and Willow was back to the person she had used to be thanks to the unexpected arrival on Iruka Umino. She was happy for the way everything had turned out in the end despite the odds.

She stopped walking when she saw two black birds perched on a branch above her head. They stared at her with their dark eyes and she sensed intelligence there. They also seemed very familiar. A whistle brought one down carefully onto her shoulder while the other remained seated with its gaze fixated on her.

"You're late, Itachi," she remarked with a smile.

The other black bird smiled in a human manner before dropping from the tree. Its image became distorted and shifted until it took on the appearance of the man she had named.

"I'm sorry I could not be here earlier. It was not easy to convince the Akatsuki to let me leave on my own," Itachi apologized without emotion in his voice. "Your message made things clear and even my fellows would have jumped to your aid if I had told them someone was going to destroy the world, but I believed this was a secret best kept to myself. I see you survived and life is still proceeding as normal."

"Yeah…but I got my ass handed to me by Willow. As did everyone else," Sakura muttered bitterly as she stroked Cooro's head. "At least she didn't go through with her words or I would be dead. Her soft heart wouldn't let her take our lives, I guess." She paused. "If you knew the world was safe, why did you come here? Why not save your cover and go back to the Akatsuki before they could become suspicious? Is there something else that brought you to me, Itachi-sama?"

The Akatsuki member nodded once. "While I was flying here with Cooro, I saw something strange. It was in a village not too far from here. Two former members of the Sound Five were out in broad daylight eating with what must have been the girl's family. It wouldn't be strange if all of the Sound Five hadn't been turned into vampires. So when night fell and those two-who are now lovebirds of some sort-snuck out on their own, I confronted them. I came in a non-threatening manner, so they told me how they accomplished the lessening of the vampire curse.

"An old witch in their village named Anzu had managed to create a potion to do several things in order to allow vampires abilities they lost with their new lives. Sustaining off of food as well as blood, being able to walk in direct sunlight, being able to age until they cannot grow any longer…The potion can do all of that. I told them about the vampires in Konoha that would require some of this, and though they were suspicious of me, they eventually led me to the witch's hut. And I managed to convince her to release some of the antidote into my hands."

His right arm thrust out of the huge sleeve of his Akatsuki robe, and in it were four vials of murky liquid. Sakura took them from him carefully, wondering if this potion could really do all that he claimed. But it was a chance for Sasuke to be able to be himself again, and she was willing to take that chance.

"There's one for my brother, and the others are for Team Hebi," Itachi explained. "They are far too young to be so cursed as they are. I also got Anzu to agree to heal the Sound village so the people don't have to suffer for the actions of Orochimaru. Apparently I have a way with words."

"What about Spike and Angel?" Sakura asked.

"Those two are too old and used to being the undead that such a change might unsettle them. Also Anzu told me the potion can only work on vampires less than a year old," Itachi replied. "Besides, if all vampires start walking in the day, who will stalk the night to scare people?"

Sakura smiled. "Good point." She paused. "Will this allow Sasuke to rebuild his clan? Or is that still out of the question?"

Itachi shrugged. "I'm not sure. That is a question only the future can answer."

"I guess so," Sakura murmured. "Well, I guess you have to get back to the Akatsuki. If you stay gone for too long, they're start to get suspicious and I know you don't want to blow your cover. So…I guess this is goodbye for now."

"Take care of yourself, Sakura Haruno. And remember to watch out for Sasuke in my stead. Let me know if anything else happens that may need my attention. Next time I'll bring in the cavalry," Itachi said with a small smile as he transformed back into his black bird form that made him look so much like Cooro. "See you around."

"Don't come back too soon," Sakura whispered as she watched Itachi fly off into the night. Then she looked back at the vials in her hand. "And thank you for giving your brother the gift of life, even if it won't be restored fully. You may not be able to stand by him and guide him, but you are still a great brother. And you are definitely an ally of Konoha for thinking about Team Hebi as well. If you ever get tired of playing the role of a traitor, you will always find a place with us back in the Leaf village."

Cooro crooned and flapped his wings once, bored of being in the same place and listening to Sakura talk to herself. She got the message pretty clearly. The vials were tucked away in her weapons pouch on her backside before she turned to head back towards the others.

_Everything's going to be all right now, _Sakura thought confidently.

* * *

Three nights later, Sasuke worked outside in the fields for a man that he was now forced to work for as restitution for taking the life of a family member. A vicious dog watched over him in his owner's stead to make sure he did his work, and Sasuke had quickly learned to not look at dog. His body had received many scars from making such a foolish mistake, but they had healed from the daily allotment of blood Tsunade dropped off for him. Still, the pain of being attacked reminded him that he always had to be careful no matter where he went.

This was only his first family that he had to work for to make up for taking the lives of their loved ones. It did not seem like he was liable to earn their forgiveness anytime soon.

He heard the sound of a raven flying above in the night sky and paused in his work for a second. Ravens were odd around this place at such a late hour. He had often heard the man of the house complaining of crows pecking at his crops during the day, but very rarely were ravens ever the same kind of criminals that their fellow black birds were. The dog growled at him, warning Sasuke that if he didn't start working again there would be some serious repercussions. So the boy vampire dug the hoe into the ground again in order to get this area ready for seeding.

Then the raven cawed again, only this time it was directly overhead. Sasuke glanced up at the same time that something dropped from the raven's claws and caught the falling objects. The vicious dog did not like any kind of animal in its owner's fields; its snarl became louder. The raven was unfazed by this and perched itself on Sasuke's head. Sasuke ignored both animals as he examined what he had caught. It was a vial of some murky liquid with a note attached to it. The note was from Sakura.

_Sasuke,_

_I found a way to restore some of your human qualities. You won't be completely alive, but you won't be the living dead anymore really. A little gift to make your life a bit easier._

_-Sakura_

The dog became irate for two reasons. Sasuke wasn't working like he was supposed to and there was a bird where there shouldn't be one. It leapt into the air, intent on bringing the bird down and hurting Sasuke in the process. The raven cawed before leaping itself to avoid being attacked, and the vampire ducked to dodge the dog's lunge. Sakura's gift to him, the vial that was supposed to give him some human abilities back, slipped from his grip. The raven saw this before he did and swooped down to grab it before it could hit the ground. It returned the potion to Sasuke's hand.

And the vicious dog lunged again, this time securely wrapping its teeth on the bird's right wing.

The raven cawed in pain as it was brought to the ground by the dog. It pecked at the beast's eyes whenever it could, but it was just a bird. It didn't have teeth and the only set of claws it had where being pinned by its attacker. If something didn't happen soon, the raven would become the dog's midnight snack. It may have been Itachi's messenger bird once, but it did not like seeing death, and it did not want to experience it firsthand.

Seeing its peril, Sasuke quickly stuffed the vial into his pocket and dropped the hoe to the ground. He tried to pull the dog off of the raven, but it refused to let go and pulling only caused the raven more pain. The owner had forbidden Sasuke to hit the dog or else he would have done that without a second thought. He then got on his hands and knees in plain view of the dog and vamped out his face with a loud growl. The dog immediately let go of the bird and ran off in fear.

If there was one thing that scared that vicious beast, it was a vamped-out Sasuke.

The raven staggered to its feet, its right wing torn badly by the dog's sharp teeth. Sasuke ripped part of his sleeve off to make a bandage, applying mild pressure to stop the bleeding. He knew now that this bird would be unable to return to Sakura and he would have to take care of it until it was better. The clan would not mind too much. Once the little kids learned of the injured bird they wouldn't stop whining until their parents agreed to let it stay. Until he was done with his work, Sasuke would let the bird remain perched on his shoulder and keep his face vamped out in case that mangy dog decided to come back.

He pulled the vial from his pocket and looked at it once more. Sakura wouldn't have sent him something unless she was sure it did something useful. He hated being a vampire and if there was a chance that something could lessen the curse, he was willing to take that chance. He popped the top off and downed the murky liquid, resisting the urge to puke as the foul-tasting liquid went down his throat. He wouldn't be aware of the truth until the sun rose, so he put the empty vial in his pocket and resumed his restitution.

* * *

On this same night, Willow stood in front of the graves of Tara and Oz, alone by choice. Buffy and Iruka had wanted to come along for her, but she felt this was something she should do alone. It was her fault that one of them was dead, and she had failed to say goodbye to the other, the one she had chosen to avenge. She was the cause of all the madness, but Willow loved her with all her heart. Why else would she have gone mad with grief if not for that?

The wind blew through the leaves of the willow tree that stood as an eternal guardian over her lovers' resting place. It changed the course of the rivers on Willow's face as well as they flowed down her face from her eyes. Even after all this time, she still cried over the death of Tara anew. And even though Oz's death was at her own hand, her tears were for him too. For he had been her first love and had tried to save her from herself, but she had been too engulfed by her anger to listen.

_My first love and my Tara, _Willow thought sadly, closing her eyes for a moment. _I just hope my new love will not fall to the same fate._

She knelt to the ground and placed a bouquet of lilies on the ground above where Tara slept forever. A bouquet of violets was above Oz's resting place.

This was her final goodbye.

"Goodbye, my lovers. Goodbye, my friends. You have been the ones for me. May you forever rest in peace," Willow murmured, looking at the tombstones one last time before walking off into the night.

* * *

"Rukio, you have served me well."

The blonde-haired ninja Council member stood in an abandoned steeple that had no right to be in Japan, looking at the First who stood in the form of the Sister named Celeste. He smiled at the false image, and the First smiled back.

"Not only have you set the stage for what I have planned, but you have gathered the three Slayers in the same place. If I had not given you some of my power to move the Hellmouth, none of this would have been possible. You are much better than all of my other servants," the First complimented. "Now when we start killing off the Potentials, they will have considerable trouble collecting them. It won't be long before they find themselves outnumbered and irreplaceable. I am proud."

"Yes, master. When do I get to kill Ibiki and those fools that treated me so poorly in the Leaf?" Rukio asked as he was bitter with those that left him crippled until he could reach the First again.

"In time, Rukio. I promise you will have your chance," the First purred, caressing Rukio's cheek in a seductive ghostly manner. "But there is still much we must do in preparation for the Rising. Three years is not much time, but we shall be ready long before those fools the Slayers will be. We will obtain their Weapon. We shall call forth the true vampires. Konoha will fall and the rest of the world will follow suit. Demons shall rule the world. And I shall be free."

* * *

_A/N: The end! Did you see that last part coming, with that loose-lipped Rukio being a servant of the First? If you did, good for you! Well, I suppose this is goodbye until the sequel to this comes out. Please tell me what you thought of this, and thank you very much for reading! Have a wonderful day!_


End file.
